Jason McGovern assaulted two young girls, stabbed their dad
A Newcastle judge has labelled the crimes of a man as “abhorrent” and “extreme” after he indecently assaulted two young girls, and after being charged eight years later, brutally stabbed their father while he slept.
Newcastle
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Jason Eric McGovern was drinking and socialising at a BBQ in 2010, along with his mother and sister.
It was about 9pm when he said he needed to go to the toilet, but instead crept into the bedroom of the host’s daughters — aged five and eight — and indecently assaulted both girls in the same room.
After about 15 minutes he returned to the party, like nothing had happened.
McGovern’s secret was kept for eight long years, but when one of the girls told someone, he was arrested and charged and had an apprehended violence order (AVO) taken out against him.
But one night he went after the girls’ father.
On March 8, 2019, McGovern — also known as Jason Lanesbury — was out drinking and playing the pokies before he decided to go to the family’s Windale home.
Armed with a 30 centimetre kitchen knife, he cut a hole in the flyscreen to break in before heading to the father’s bedroom, according to police facts.
McGovern turned on the light and stood over the man, waking him, before he stabbed him repeatedly in the shoulder and chin.
His screaming woke his daughters and wife, who saw McGovern standing over her husband as he was being attacked, a court heard.
He suffered multiple stab wounds, including a 10 centimetre deep wound, causing him to lose three litres of blood, which saw him need a transfusion to survive.
McGovern pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated indecent assault, cause grievous bodily harm with intent, break and enter and inflict bodily harm and contravene AVO.
In Newcastle District Court on Friday, he was convicted on all counts and jailed for 17 years, with a non-parole period of ten years.
Judge Penelope Wass said the ordeal must have been “terrifying” for the family.
“It was abhorrent and cruel,” Judge Wass said.
“His offending against the victims father showed remarkable lack of control. It was extreme.”
She also condemned the actions committed against both the man’s daughters.
“The acts against the daughters was an insidious act,” she said.
Evidence in court documents also revealed in 2016, McGovern was admitted to the Mater Mental Health Unit and around that time, posted a disturbing status on Facebook.
“It’s just so f**king uncontrollably hard to fight these urges that I’ve been having,” it read.
“Since I’ve been 11-12 years old, I have been molested, abused, but now for the last few years, I’ve been fighting these urges of doing things to people that happened to me.
“On top of that I have managed to have feelings for someone of an age I never thought possible.
“But I think it’s now time to say goodbye to all my demons and put my mind at ease.
“I’m sorry to all those that I have hurt and that have hurt me.”
He will be eligible for release in March 2029.