Ashleigh Stephenson allegedly tries to stab worker at Epping station
A man allegedly tried to slash a Metro employee’s face after being told he couldn’t take his dog on a bus at Epping railway station. He’s got a serious history of violence, but a young family have opened their arms to him.
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A man allegedly tried to slash a Metro employee’s face with a knife at Epping railway station after he was told he couldn’t take his dog on a bus.
Ashleigh Stephenson allegedly told the man he didn’t care about CCTV, he was going to stab him, before lunging at his face with a knife just after noon on June 13.
Police argued the 31-year-old was a serious danger to the public when he applied for bail before Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Friday, July 10.
Senior Constable Lachlan Thompson said the latest incident was a “completely unprovoked” attack in the middle of the day.
“I can’t stress enough how close the accused got to slashing the victim with the knife,” he said.
The court heard Stephenson, who was with his pit bull named Tiger, allegedly got extremely agitated when he was told his dog couldn’t go on the bus.
He allegedly told the employee, “I’m going to come back later and bash you”, with the man responding “OK, whatever”.
Stephenson allegedly brushed past the man’s shoulder and walked 2m away before saying “I’ve got a knife, I’m going to stab ya — I don’t care if you’ve got cameras”.
He allegedly then pulled out a folding knife, saying, “I don’t care I’m homeless,” before swiping at the man’s face.
The man allegedly had to take several steps back to avoid injury with the knife narrowly missing his face.
After seeing CCTV footage of the attack, Magistrate Jennifer Tregent said if the man “had not snapped his head back it could have been quite dire”.
Stephenson was arrested on June 18.
The court heard Stephenson was a methamphetamine addict who lived in his car and had two children not in his care.
A man who he met 12 months earlier when their dogs bonded told the court Stephenson and his dog could move in with him, his partner and two young children in Mill Park.
The man said he and his partner wanted to help Stephenson “change pace” and work on himself, and would not allow drug use in their home.
Ms Tregent tried to make sure the man and his partner were aware of the extent of Stephenson’s past.
Stephenson’s lawyer argued he was on the methadone program, had already spent 22 days in jail and could be supervised by the Court Integrated Services Program.
Ms Tregent released him on bail with the conditions of a curfew, a drug ban and the supervision of the program.
“This really is your last chance,” she said.
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