The Entrance: Robert George Ronald Dick sentenced over 7-Eleven affray, stabbing
A judge has found a young chippy to be an “impressive witness” despite his “disproportionate” response to a late-night challenge from a surly servo customer, which sparked a violent stabbing.
Central Coast
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An apprentice carpenter, who was smoking cannabis daily, told a court he was horrified and shocked that he punched a stranger in the face and kicked him while his mate stabbed the victim during a wild attack against the unarmed man.
Robert George Ronald Dick, of The Entrance, faced Gosford District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to affray, common assault, custody of a knife in public and reckless wounding in company.
The 22-year-old was supposed to stand trial after pleading not guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm but that charge was withdrawn and dismissed after he pleaded guilty to the alternative count of reckless wounding.
The court heard Dick, an apprentice carpenter, had gone to the 7-Eleven service station at The Entrance about 4am on October 5, 2020, with two other men to purchase Red Bull and other drinks to mix with their alcohol.
On the way inside Dick stopped to relieve himself in a nearby garden bed.
A 28-year-old man had filled up his car with petrol and was waiting at the counter when he turned to one of Dick’s mates, Christopher Staines, then 21, of Berkeley Vale, and said “what the f..k is your problem, what are you looking at me like that?”.
Staines responded “nothing” and walked to the rear of the store.
There were more words exchanged before Dick’s other mate Jaxon Dean Wells, then 20, of Chittaway Point, ran outside to where Dick was urinating and asked for his knife.
The court heard Dick carried a small folding pocket knife for “chopping up weed” that he was smoking daily at the time.
“The victim approached Staines and said `mate, do we have a problem?’ to which Staines responded “No’,” the agreed set of facts states.
“The victim then held out his hand and shook Staines’ hand before saying `sorry mate all good, I’m leaving’.’
But at this stage Dick and Wells were walking into the shop where Wells pulled out the knife and said to the victim “what c..t?”.
“At the same time Dick is seen pulling up the sleeves on his jumper and clenching his fists in a fighting stance. The victim responded, `I’m not scared mate’,” the facts state.
The court heard Dick punched the victim in the face while Wells lunged towards him and swung the knife towards the upper side of his chest.
Dick kicked the victim in the upper body before the victim tackled him to the ground where Wells stabbed him a second time under the left arm.
Staines then grabbed the victim and pulled him to the ground where they wrestled for a short period of time.
They separated and the victim threw objects at the three men until they left the store.
He was later rushed to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition where he required 14 staples to close his stab wounds and very nearly bled to death.
The following day police attended Wells’ Chittaway Point address where he was arrested.
Dick and Staines turned themselves in to police a week later after seeing their photos, captured on the service stations’ CCTV, posted on the Tuggerah Lakes Police District’s Facebook page.
Judge Justin Smith said he found Dick to be an “impressive witness” after he took the stand to recount how horrified and shocked he was at his actions.
Judge Smith said while the victim may have been the aggressor initially, Dick and his friends’ responses were “completely disproportional” and the man was still “alone and unarmed”.
Dick was convicted and sentenced to an intensive corrections order for two years and one month along with 120 hours of community service work.
It comes after Wells pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He was sentenced last year in Gosford District Court to a non-parole period of one year and three months jail.
Staines pleaded guilty to one count of affray and was sentenced in Gosford Local Court to a community corrections order for 18 months.
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