Bungora Clinic: Timothy Marskell spared extra jail time for stabbing brother outside methadone clinic
An Illawarra man accused of stabbing his brother with a pocket knife causing his bowel to protrude outside a Wollongong methadone clinic has appeared in court.
Illawarra Star
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An Illawarra man who stabbed his brother with a pocket knife following a dispute over methadone has escaped full-time jail.
Timothy Marskell, 39, was sentenced to two years in jail to be served by way of an intensive corrections by Judge Robert Sutherland at Wollongong District court on Friday, after pleading guilty to one charge of reckless wounding.
On Friday, the caught heard Marskell picked up his brother Daniel Bonacina, 41, from his Unanderra home just after 7am on April 12, 2018, and drove the pair to a Wollongong methadone clinic to get their dose.
Marskell parked on Urunga Parade and the two men began walking to the clinic, but quickly got into a physical altercation, with the pair starting to push each other.
Marskell pulled out a small pocket knife and stabbed Mr Bonacina in the abdomen, causing his bowel to protrude from the wound.
A witness sitting outside the clinic saw Mr Bonacina “go white” and clutch his stomach, while Marskell called out for help, then fled the scene.
The witness rushed to Mr Bonacina’s aid, who said “I don’t think I’m going to make it”.
The man helped Mr Bonacina walk to Wollongong Hospital where he was immediately
admitted for a laparotomy to repair his injuries. He remained in hospital for four days, while police arrested Marskell at his home, charging him with reckless wounding.
He remained in custody for five months after the incident, until he was granted bail by the Supreme Court.
On Friday, the court heard the brothers had been close until their sister was murdered in 2000, which caused a rift between them.
The court also heard Marskell was suffering from substance abuse issues at the time of the incident, and when discussing it with a treating psychologist alluded to the fact the fight was sparked by methadone, saying “I should have just given him (Mr Bonacina) my methadone”.
In a report tendered to Judge Sutherland, Marskell’s mother said the stabbing was “completely out of character”.
“She told a psychologist that she was ‘shocked and emotionally torn’ by what had occurred,” Judge Sutherland said.
“(His mother) viewed the stabbing as being out of character and her boys had never been physical or antagonistic toward each other … it was Tim that was always first to walk away.”
In handing down his sentence, Judge Sutherland noted the five months Marskell had already served behind bars, placing him on a two-year intensive corrections order.
As part of the conditions, he was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and abstain from drugs and alcohol.