Jail sentence for man who tried to stab officer in head at Eastwood

A man who tried to stab a police officer in the head with a large kitchen knife outside a Sydney police station last year has been sent to prison for at least four and half years.

• Police officer tells court he thought he would die in knife attack
• Knife attack caught on CCTV

A man who tried to stab a police officer in the head with a large kitchen knife outside Eastwood police station last year has been sent to prison for at least four and half years.

Sean Matthews, 29, who lives with schizophrenia, was sentenced to a prison term of seven years and six months at Parramatta District Court today after pleading guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, with a non-parole period of four and a half years.

Chilling CCTV footage captured the knife attack during the early hours of July 12, 2018, which was shown in court.

Sean Matthews after being arrested and charged last year. Picture: 9 NEWS

The footage shows Matthews walk up behind Leading Senior Constable Scott Collis on the steps of the station.

Snr Cst Collis initially had his back turned but spun around before deflecting and dodging three lunges from the offender who tried to stab him in his neck and head with a 30cm knife.

Matthews fled but police officers chased him on foot and arrested him using a taser.

No-one was injured in the attack and the victim and offender did not know each other.

Scott Collis was on hand to witness the sentence being handed down today.

Matthews has spent the majority of his adult life in prison and was out on parole for just over a month when the attacked happened, following a period behind bars for aggravated break and enter offences.

The court was told that he stopped taking his medication for his mental illness leading up to the attack and that he had also been using methamphetamine after being released on parole.

In a letter from the offender, read out in court, Matthews wrote that he had suicidal thoughts after stopping his medication and that he wanted to be shot and killed by police.

CCTV footage of the attack. Picture: NSW Police

He added that he was remorseful for his actions.

A statement from Matthews’ mother, which was also read out in court, stated that prior to the incident her son was complaining about having a chip in his head.

“He was pacing in the house with the knife and said that police were coming to get him and that they had been communicating with him through the chip,” her statement read.

Snr Cst Collis told the court, from the witness box, that his life flashed before him and that he felt like he was going to die when Matthews lunged at him.

“I remember thinking of my family — my two sons — and how I couldn’t afford for this to be the end of me.”

He said he still did not know how he avoided being stabbed.

“I started to look over myself, patting myself down looking for wounds — still to this day, I don’t know how I was not physically injured.”

Despite avoiding physical injury, the attack has taken a significant toll on the victim who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, loss of confidence dealing with other people, and has only just returned to wearing a police uniform, the court heard.

A psychologist report stated that Matthews’ symptoms were consistent with schizophrenia.

Judge James Bennett also took into consideration an offence of assault law officer under a Form One during the sentence, relating to an incident after Matthews was taken into custody last year.