Thomas Anthony Novella: Details of samurai sword attack revealed

The details of a shocking samurai sword attack by an experienced martial artist in Russell Vale last year have been revealed in Wollongong District Court. Read what happened.

Wollongong District Court heard from the partner of a Russell Vale man who was on the wrong end of a crazed samurai sword attack last year.

Experienced martial artist Thomas Anthony Novella has pleaded guilty to the charges of recklessly wounding and two counts of stalking and intimidation with the intention of causing fear of physical or mental harm.

The victim’s partner said, reading from an impact statement prepared by the victim, they had lived in the house since 2000 and “had always felt safe in our house”, but ”the house has never felt the same” since the attack.

“I have found myself freezing at the front door, I can’t walk out our front door without stopping for a second,” she read.

“One night there was lightning and I thought he had come back to set the house on fire.”

The statement also highlighted the victim‘s trouble sleeping and that “the scar on my chest is a constant reminder” of the Monday, May 10, 2021 evening.

The shocking incident came a few months after a couple of run-ins between the victim‘s 18-year-old stepson and Novella, who was 33 at the time.

Between 7pm and 8pm on May 10 last year, the victim was at his Collaery Rd residence with his mother-in-law when power to the house was cut.

Thomas Anthony Novella leaving Wollongong Courthouse on Friday. Picture: Dylan Arvela

The man went outside to check if a fuse had blown only to find out the mains switch had been flicked off before noticing “Scum” graffitied in orange spray paint on his garage door.

The victim’s partner and stepson arrived home and police were contacted.

At around 9.15pm, the victim noticed a blue silhouette through his front glass door and thinking it was the police he went and opened the door, however, standing in front of him was Novella.

The man asked if the drunken Novella was “okay” before he shot across the road to his white Audi and retrieved a katana sword which he lifted about his head in the middle of the suburban street.

The victim’s partner and stepson came to see what the commotion was about before Novella started moving towards them at which point the man rushed inside to grab a wooden ladder.

Novella made a couple of running steps towards the victim’s partner before stopping and laughing.

The man returned as Novella started running towards them and the two simultaneously struck each other, causing them to fall to the ground.

The man received cuts to his chest and forearm.

Novella was still holding the sword as the victim, with the help of his stepson, wrestled him under control as neighbours were called to help.

Police arrived shortly after 9.30pm at which point Novella pleaded with them to rescue him from the victim.

“Please help me. They’re killing me... Let go of me they’re killing me,” he yelled.

“Get these animals, these scumbags off me.

A katana sword. Picture: Stock

“I’m going to get you, I’m going to get you. I’m going to f***** get you all... Get him off me. I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe. Get him off me for f***’s sake.”

The officers arrested him before Novella turned his attention to the 18-year-old and said “I‘ll get you, you f****** c***, you’re f******* dead”.

“You better be scared,” he continued.

“I will end you. I will not forget you.”

And in a perplexing moment of clarity, Novella asked if the victim was “alright” as paramedics tended to a 6cm gash in his chest and 5cm cut in his forearm.

Novella was conveyed to Wollongong Command where officers asked him about his head injury as he begged them to look out for his sword.

“Them (caused the injury). For real,” he said.

“They put my knee into my head, like, f***. I guess it’s understandable, I mean I came at them with a katana, but there’s a backstory to it.

“Just make sure that katana doesn’t get lost, yeah? Very personal to me.

“I’ll get the sword back, right?”

Police also searched Novella‘s Audi, finding an orange wooden bokken sword, orange spray paint, a box of matches, a lighter, vegetable matter inside a plastic snap lock bag and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey.

The katana sword was found on the victim’s lawn.

In court on Friday, Novella said he was facing challenges around that time, namely separating from his wife, before apologising to the victim and his family.

Thomas Anthony Novella will be sentenced in September. Picture: Dylan Arvela

“I am sorry for my actions,” he said.

“It was extremely poor judgment and I had no intention and no ill intent towards him, his stepson or entire family.

“It was an extremely poor decision... I have come a long way since those events and have realised the impact of my actions.”

Novella admitted he often left the sword in his car in between his Saturday training sessions in Fairy Meadow and said he only ever intended on tagging the garage door.

The matter was due for sentencing, however, Judge Chris O’Brien opted to adjourn until September to allow Novella to complete a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program on the Central Coast.

Novella will be sentenced in Sydney‘s Downing Centre on Friday, September 16.