Joseph Vervoort: Illawarra man escapes extra jail time for stab attack
A young Illawarra man has escaped extra jail time after he stabbed his girlfriend’s ex following a night full of drugs and alcohol.
Illawarra Star
Don't miss out on the headlines from Illawarra Star. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Former journo slammed over supermarket ‘upskirting’
- Father charged after son, friend die in Bulli boat capsize
A 22-year-old man has escaped further jail time after stabbing his girlfriend’s ex with a kitchen knife after a night of drugs and alcohol.
Joseph Vervoort faced Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, where he was sentenced to 15 months jail to be served in the community by way of intensive corrections order, after pleading guilty to a charge of reckless wounding following an early morning stabbing in North Wollongong on February 23.
In handing down her sentence, Magistrate Claire Girotto noted Vervoort spent three months in jail before being granted “onerous” bail to which he’d complied with, as well as the fact he was a young man who’d never done jail time.
“Almost three months in custody is not something to dismiss for a young man who’s never been in custody,” she said.
“He took steps in jail to rehabilitate himself and he has told the court he’s remorseful.”
The court heard the altercation took place after Vervoort and his girlfriend spent the night of February 22 at the popular Towradgi Beach Hotel, before leaving and taking MDMA and LSD.
The pair had been home for about an hour-and-a-half, when the victim showed up at his ex-girlfriend’s home around 4.30am, following a night out with his friends.
He had been texting his ex throughout the night, but in a police interview, she said she didn’t recall inviting him over. When he arrived at the door, documents reveal the woman told her ex “you shouldn’t be”, before he pushed his way through the home and into the living room.
The court heard the victim felt something “like a poke” to the right side of his abdomen, before saying to his ex “this c**t (Vervoort) just stabbed me”.
The woman told police she saw a black handled knife before saying “Joseph (Vervoort) what the f**k have you done”.
The victim then walked out the front door and his ex followed him, telling him to call an ambulance. He replied “f**k that”, telling her he was calling a mate.
Two of his friends arrived some minutes later, armed with a metal pole and wooden chair leg.
The court heard the pair called for Vervoort to come outside the house, to which he refused, prompting the pair to smash the front windows of the home, and then the windscreen and windows of Vervoort’s car.
Police were called to the Virginia Street home around 5.10am, where they found the victim lying on the ground. An ambulance was called while police arrested Vervoort in the backyard of the house, noting his “extreme intoxication”.
Vervoort claimed he was the victim, telling police “C***s tried to break into my f***ing house and it was self defence” and “I just gave him a tiny, tiny little stab. I wasn’t trying to hurt him. I just wanted to get them f***en out of the house.”
The victim was taken to hospital and underwent emergency surgery, spending a total of 10 days in hospital.
Vervoort was arrested and spent the next three months in jail on remand. In court on Wednesday Magistrate Girotto said Vervoort told Community Corrections the offence had occurred at a time when he was using drugs during a “downward spiral” in his life.
As part of his sentence, Magistrate Girotto ordered Vervoort complete 200 hours community service, undergo drug and alcohol and anger management courses, as well as pay a $2000 fine.