Real estate agent Matthew Ramsay jailed for almost four years for stabbing mate’s wife in Dover Heights home

Matthew Ramsay made headlines when he stabbed his mate’s wife inside her home in one of Sydney’s most exclusive enclaves. Two years later, the former high-flying real estate agent has learned his fate.

Matthew Ramsay was jailed for nearly four years for stabbing his mate’s wife at their exclusive Dover Heights property.

A former high-flying real estate executive who stabbed his mate’s wife inside her exclusive eastern suburbs home will remain behind bars until at least 2026.

Matthew Brian Ramsay was sentenced to an overall jail term of six years and eight months in the NSW District Court on Friday after confessing to plunging a 25cm kitchen knife into the woman’s chest on the afternoon of August 8, 2022.

Judge David Barrow set a non-parole period of three years and eight months, meaning with time already served, Ramsay will be eligible for parole in October 2026.

The court heard Ramsay, who suffers from treatment-resistant addictions to alcohol and prescription substances, was likely in the midst of a prescription drug-induced delirium on the day.

Medical reports revealed the 48-year-old had ingested a cocktail of psychoactive drugs and sedatives at the direction of doctors in the days leading up to the incident, while in residence at deluxe Bronte rehabilitation centre The Sydney Clinic.

According to a set of agreed facts tendered to the court, Ramsay left the clinic in the morning, went to his own home nearby, picked up a kitchen knife and then drove to the victim’s house in Dover Heights.

Then court heard Ramsay was friends with the woman’s husband and she knew of his addiction struggles, so she was not alarmed when he knocked on her door, asking to talk.

However, she later told police the moment Ramsay walked through the front door his previously friendly demeanour changed.

She said Ramsay looked at her intensely, said “sorry”, then pulled the knife from his jacket pocket and stabbed her in the chest, near her heart.

The court heard the woman put up a fight and Ramsay tried to stab her again before she fled out the front door.

Matthew Ramsay pictured the moment he was approached by police and arrested near Bondi Beach. Picture: 7 News

Ramsay jumped on her back and put his hand over her mouth in a bid to stifle her screaming, but nearby workers were alerted by the commotion and came to her aid.

They distracted Ramsay, allowing the woman to flee inside the house and contact police.

The court heard she was later taken to hospital and received stitches for a 3cm wound to her upper left chest, but was discharged the following day.

Meanwhile, Ramsay was arrested on Campbell Parade in Bondi Beach shortly after the incident.

He was charged with wounding with intent to murder and remanded in custody at the time but later released on bail to attend a live-in rehab centre.

The court heard he breached his bail while at the facility and was returned to custody.

He subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in a plea deal with prosecutors and the attempted murder charge was withdrawn.

In court on Friday, Judge David Barrow said medical reports revealed Ramsay had been a chronic alcoholic for all his adult life, with his abuse so dire he had developed an alcohol-related brain injury due to excessive drinking.

To battle his addiction, doctors had prescribed antipsychotics and sedatives, including Baclofen, Valium and Stilnox, in extremely large doses.

The court heard Ramsay’s use of the combination of drugs, along with his apparent cold-turkey withdrawal from another, likely put him in a state of delirium at the time of the incident.

Judge Barrow said Ramsay’s intoxicated state reduced his moral culpability for his actions significantly.

He found Ramsay was remorseful, noting he’d written letters of apology to the victim and the court in which he said he was now sober in jail and had taken time to self reflect to “get me back to the person I used to be”.

The court heard Ramsay plans to live with his cousin and work for his brother when released.