The Ponds stabbing: Teenager learns his fate in Penrith court
A teenager who stabbed a man three times in the back of the neck has appeared in Penrith District Court.
Penrith
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A teenager who stabbed a man three times in the back of the neck, and later commented on a news report of the incident using a laughing emoji and ‘lol’, will walk free from jail.
Murat Yaktubay, 19, of Stanhope Gardens, had been in custody since the February 23 incident where he stabbed young father David Sidhom, 29, with a small blade on a multi-use tool.
He will now be released from custody after Judge Penelope Wass sentenced him to a two-year intensive corrections order at Penrith District Court on Tuesday morning.
Judge Wass said Mr Sidhom had approached a group of teenagers to ask them to reduce their noise levels.
She said an argument escalated, before Mr Sidhom grabbed one of the teenagers’ shirts. Yaktubay responded to this by walking around a picnic table and stabbing him three times.
Mr Sidhom was rushed to Westmead Hospital, where he required surgery and sutures for his wounds.
Yatkubay took the stand to provide evidence, and said he had taken two Xanax pills, smoked cannabis, and drank alcohol before the incident.
He said he had the knife to act as a bottle opener, and that he didn’t usually carry it.
Yaktubay said he believed at the time of the stabbing that Mr Sidhom was holding a “revolver”, and that he had only stabbed Mr Sidhom once.
He said he was “shocked” when police showed him photos of the three wounds, and that he is “devastated and ashamed” of his actions.
However, the prosecution took exception with previous comments Yaktubay had made about the impact the stabbings had on the victim.
A Sentencing Assessment Report tendered to the court showed that Yaktubay had said the incident couldn’t have had any emotional impact on the victim because he had gone on holidays shortly afterwards.
However, Judge Wass said the same report stated Yaktubay had a good understanding of the impact of his crime.
Yaktubay apologised to the victim in court.
“This is obviously tragic for him, and I’m very sorry,” he said.
“Hopefully he’s alright, and I hope he can forgive me.”
Judge Wass ordered Yaktubay to attend any programs relating to addiction or anger issues, and to undertake 100 hours of community service.
He will also be supervised by community corrections officers.