David Tape: pensioner pleads guilty over ferocious, ‘premeditated’ knife attack on neighbour in Little O’Grady St, Albert Park

A retired bank manager nearly killed his neighbour in a stabbing frenzy, but his first thought was to protect his pristine, architect-designed floors from bloody splatters.

A retired ANZ bank manager lay down a large blue tarp and put on yellow rubber gloves so be wouldn’t “make a mess” of the white floors in his architect-designed Albert Park home, before launching into a bloody attack on his neighbour, slashing his face with knives and a sharpened screwdriver.

Pensioner David Tape, 73, on Thursday pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury, with gross violence, to his neighbour, Peter Dracos, 70, in Little O’Grady St, Albert Park last year.

The County Court heard Tape, a divorced father of four, used two knives and a sharpened screwdriver to slash Mr Dracos’s face and gouge into one of his eyes, even as Mr Dracos yelled for help, saying, “he’s trying to kill me” and “enough is enough”.

David Tape set down a tarp inside his Little O’Grady St, Albert Park home, to avoid ‘making a mess’ before he viciously attacked his neighbour, Peter Dracos. Picture: realestate.com

Mr Dracos had lived in a poorly maintained house in the street for decades, and Tape had been in a dispute with him since shortly after moving in to his architect-designed home across the road in mid-2022.

In the weeks leading up to the “deliberate, premeditated, armed and retributive attack”, Tape claimed Mr Dracos had been disturbing his sleep by waking up in the early hours of each morning and making noise in the street.

Shortly before 3.30am on April 14 last year, Tape set down the tarp over his all-white floors, put on rubber gloves, and waited for Mr Dracos to walk out into the street.

Tape calmly told police officers who rushed to the scene after the attack, “I have gone a bit stupid, I’m sorry”.

Mr Dracos nearly died from blood loss, underwent a nine-hour emergency surgery to stitch up his wounds, lost vision in one eye, and has serious pain from nerve damage in his arms, which had deep “defensive wounds”.

David Tape was afraid of getting blood on his pristine, all-white floors. Picture: Supplied/realestate.com.au

Tape told police in an interview he “put the blue tarps down because he thought with the knives he would probably make a mess”.

He said he was “not trying to attempt to murder him”, but rather “just wanted it (the late night disturbances) to stop.

“There was not going to be a fight to the death.”

Tape described his actions as a “terrible, terrible, terrible, stupid thing.”

In a victim impact statement, Mr Dracos said Tape’s actions “still haunt me and disturb my sleep every night”.

He cannot go to concerts because he is afraid of crowds, is embarrassed by his disfigured face, and is in constant pain.

“This does not feel like living,” he said.

Tape’s barrister, Tim Marsh, said the case involved “truly perplexing offending”.

“How do you get to the age of 72 … have led a full life and never responded violently, never got in trouble with the law, and at the age of 72, get out of your bed in the dead of the night and initiate a confrontation like this?

“In the harsh light of hindsight it’s difficult to understand why Mr Tape behaved in the way he did.”

David Tape complained his neighbour was keeping him awake at night. Picture: Supplied/realestate.com.au

He said had Tape done more “stabbing, as opposed to slashing” it is likely he would be facing a murder charge.

He said Tape was enjoying his retirement reading books and swimming each day.

There was now a risk he could die in custody, given his old age and the mandatory four years he must serve behind bars.

Mr Marsh said Tape planned to sell the home before he was released from prison, because he does not want to live near Mr Dracos.

“He wants to live a quiet life,” he said.

“He’s not defiant, he’s not saying, ‘see you when I get out’.”

Judge Krista Breckweg will sentence a Tape next month.