Balgowlah: Raecin Wood jailed for threatening to kill mate, who had to jump from first floor window

A man in a drug-fuelled rage, armed with two large knives, threatened to ‘gut’ his mate, who had to leap from a first floor window to escape. See the sentence dealt out by a Sydney court.

Raecin Wood, 29, was sentenced to two years in jail by Manly Local Court after being convicted of threatening to kill a male friend with two knives in a northern beaches flat. (AAP IMAGE / MONIQUE HARMER)

A man wielding two knives while in a drug-fuelled rage threatened to “gut” one of his mates who had to leap to safety from a first floor window.

Raecin Wood, 29, shouted he wanted to kill a male friend after jumping on him in bed at 4.45am at a Balgowlah unit, Manly Local Court was told on Thursday.

Wood, unemployed, of Chippendale, who had been taking illicit drugs, including “ice”, became angry after the female occupant of the flat in Cross St told him to leave.

The court heard that Wood was a long term friend of the victim and had been invited to stay at the unit overnight on February 26.

But when he was asked to go, Wood dashed into the kitchen and grabbed two large knives before charging into the bedroom where his friend was asleep.

A man leapt from the first floor window of a townhouse on Cross St, Balgowlah, after his mate, carrying two knives, threatened to kill him. Picture: Google Maps

Wood pinned the man to the bed and repeatedly threatened to kill him and cut off his arms and legs.

“I will gut you,” Wood told the victim.

Raecin appeared in court via video link from the Clarence Correctional Centre at Grafton. Picture: Corrective Services (Serco).

The woman called police while spending between five to 10 minutes urging Wood to drop the knives and get off the man, according to a police facts sheet tendered to court.

Wood left the room, giving the victim a chance to jump from the first floor window.

The court heard that police, who had just arrived, saw Wood again threatening the victim after seeing him trying to climb a 2m fence. He was told to drop the knives, and was arrested.

Wood pleaded guilty to one count each of being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, common assault and stalk/intimidate intending fear of physical harm.

Wood’s solicitor said her client, who appeared in court via video from the Clarence Correctional Centre at Grafton, had mental health issues.

“He does struggle with empathy and guilt,” the solicitor said. “But he has a strong desire to participate in rehab.”

Magistrate Daniel Reiss said Wood’s “wild and erratic behaviour” was impacted by the use of prohibited drugs and that he had not been taking required medication for mental health conditions.

“Both the witness and the victim would have been absolutely terrified,” Mr Reiss said.

“It would have been horrific.”

Mr Reiss handed Wood an aggregate jail sentence of two years in jail. He set a non-parole period of 12 months, to date from when Wood first went into custody on February 26.