Woman tells court of horror random stabbing while on morning walk in Melbourne’s north

A woman has shared the aftermath of a horror random stabbing while she was on a morning walk in Melbourne. WARNING: Graphic

A young female jogger was attacked in a residential street in Melbourne's northwest in September last year. Picture: Mark Stewart

A 22-year-old woman has told a court the horrific impact a random stabbing in broad daylight in Melbourne’s north had on her life.

Through a victim impact statement read to the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday, the woman shared her experience after Dimitri Evangelou stabbed her three times in the back and partially amputated her finger with a foldable knife in broad daylight while she was walking near a playground.

Evangelou, 19, pleaded guilty to intentionally cause serious injury and recklessly cause serious injury.

But the court heard the exact charges could change after Judge Douglas Trapnell found a legal problem with the wording, and asked prosecution and defence lawyers to discuss the issue.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had worked hard to overcome her depression following the horror day on September 3 last year at Gowanbrae.

The woman’s finger was partially amputated. Picture: Supplied

She was stabbed by Evangelou, who was a complete stranger, shortly after 10.20am.

“I am grateful it did not happen to someone else who may not have had the support I do,” she said.

“I had to drop units for university because I emotionally could not handle the workload.

“It caused a fear in me that I never used to have.”

She said she use to love going for walks by herself but it took her more than a month to do this again, after she panicked in public settings and couldn’t stand to have anyone behind her.

She had nightmares and said she had three obvious scars on her back.

Her finger still felt numb almost a year after the attack.

The woman suffered three stab wounds in her back and now has “obvious scars”, she told the court through a victim impact statement. Picture: Supplied

The court heard the woman walked past Evangelou as she was headed home after having coffee with her dad and a family friend with headphones in her ears.

Evangelou suddenly turned around and ran through a playground so he was in front of her.

When she walked around a bend he jumped out behind her and stabbed her three times.

She fell to the ground and screamed, Evangelou ran away through the playground, and bystanders rushed to help.

The doctor who treated her at the Royal Melbourne Hospital said the wounds had potential to injure her lungs, abdomen and kidneys but this was avoided.

Her finger was broken and “partially amputated”.

Police investigate the scene on September 3, where they found Evangelou’s phone. Picture: Mark Stewart

The court heard Evangelou had dropped his phone at the scene.

Police found a foldable knife in his bed slats and a bloodstained shirt in his room where he lived with his mother.

Judge Trapnell ordered a psychiatric report.

The court heard Evangelou had been “withdrawn” in the 12 months leading up to the attack.

His mother said he was barely eating and when he did it was alone in his room, and he told prison staff he was hearing whispering voices, the court heard.

He will return to court on November 4.

Originally published as Woman tells court of horror random stabbing while on morning walk in Melbourne’s north