Rebecca McGee: Echuca mother used heroin to lure friend into bloody ambush

A man has almost died after he was lured to a friend’s house only to be ambushed in a harrowing stabbing attack in Echuca.

Echuca mother Rebecca McGee. Picture: Facebook

An Echuca mother lured her friend into an ambush using heroin and watched as he was repeatedly stabbed by her boyfriend in her own home.

Rebecca McGee appeared in the County Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty over her involvement in the life-threatening assault of 42-year-old Adam Lehmann.

Court documents reveal the 34-year-old mother-of-five invited Mr Lehmann to her Echuca home by offering him heroin “on credit” at 8am, September 15, 2019.

McGee locked the doors immediately after Mr Lehmann arrived at her house as her partner, Waylon Walsh, appeared yelling and wielding a knife and charged at his victim.

Mr Lehmann grabbed Walsh, threw him on the couch and pinned him down.

But Walsh was still able to slice Mr Lehmann’s hand and head, before plunging the knife through his mouth and up into his nose and cheekbone area.

Bleeding heavily Mr Lehmann tried to escape but McGee blocked the doorway.

As the victim pushed her aside and tried to unlock the doors, Walsh stabbed him in the back twice.

Mr Lehmann made it to the front lawn, but Walsh continued lunging at him stabbing him in the armpit and slicing across his chest.

A man, who was in the house during the attack, intervened as Mr Lehmann tried to stop the blood loss using his jumper.

In a 000 call McGee said to operators, “he’s bleeding everywhere. He’s dying”.

“He’s stabbed, bashed, everything,” McGee said.

Mr Lehmann was carried to the back of Walsh’s ute and driven to Echuca Regional Health where he was dropped at the emergency department.

There Mr Lehmann went into a cardiac arrest as a result of the blood loss, forcing doctors to perform emergency surgery.

He was later flown to The Alfred hospital.

Mr Lehmann survived the attack but was left with the large chest wound, a 10cm injury to his head, tendon damage, a fractured hand, nasal bone, cheek bone, eye socket and rib, a cut to his ankle, and two black eyes.

Judge Felicity Hampel said McGee’s victim suffered everyday because of her actions, with nightmares haunting his sleep and constant fear while awake.

In court documents, an initial search of the property found a hunting knife, a hammer, a leather knife sheath heroin and a notebook used to record drug transactions and $1400 in cash.

A second search on January 9, 2020 uncovered 29.2g of heroin, 0.4g cannabis and $575 in cash, digital scales and other evidence of drug trafficking.

Police also found a slingshot, samurai sword and katana sword.

Court documents reveal McGee told police she sold drugs to “family” to fund her own addiction.

Her solicitor Angus Cameron said his client suffered from an intellectual disability, mental illness and a long-term drug addition.

Court documents said the Yorta Yorta woman came from a background of extreme disadvantage, growing up on Cummerangunja Station witnessing physical and sexual abuse and drug addiction as a child.

McGee left school in Year 8, began using drugs in her early teens and started a relationship with Walsh at 16.

But Ms Hampel said it was clear McGee used her time on remand productively to stay on the right track for the sake of her children and community.

Ms Hampel said she was “impressed” with how McGee had committed to services, particularly under the guidance of her mother-in-law Aunty Jennifer.

Ms Hampel gave her heartfelt thanks saying the intervention of the community elder and family member was critical to McGee’s reformation.

“She is progressing on all of her goals,” Ms Hampel said.

McGee pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury, trafficking a drug of dependence, possession of drugs and weapons charges.

She was sentenced to a 12-months in prison, with 403 days already served, and a two-year community corrections order.

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