Cairns crime: Danny Davis sentenced to 7 years in Cairns court for ‘prolonged and vicious’ attack

A man who inflicted multiple stab wounds on a homeless man in Cairns last year threatened to “finish him off, stomp on his head” as his victim lay unconscious.

A “VICIOUS and cowardly” knife attack on a homeless man resulted in a seven-year prison sentence for Cairns man Danny Graham Davis, 50.

Mr Davis pleaded guilty in Cairns District Court to grievous bodily harm, going armed with intent to maim and assaulting a police officer.

Judge Dean Morzone declared the grievous bodily harm a serious violence offence, meaning Mr Davis must serve a minimum of 80 per cent of the term.

Mr Davis, who has spent 485 days in custody since the incident on August 9 last year, received six months’ for going armed with intent and three months for assault of a police officer, to be served concurrently.

The court heard he had three previous assault charges.

Defence barrister Rachelle Logan told the court Mr Davis had alcohol abuse disorder, epilepsy and schizophrenia.

Judge Dean Morzone told Danny Graham Davis his attack on a homeless man in Cairns last August was ‘vicious and cowardly’ and sentenced him to seven years behind bars. Picture: supplied.

She submitted a doctor’s report suggesting Mr Davis could apply for NDIS for long term residential accommodation.

Ms Logan said Mr Davis was a “vulnerable individual at risk”.

But Judge Morzone noted that Mr Davis had resisted treatment for schizophrenia.

The court heard Mr Davis had a BAC of .224 several hours after the incident at Lyons St, Bungalow.

Judge Morzone said the 49-year-old victim of multiple stab wounds was rendered unconscious, bled profusely and spent 73 days in hospital recovering from a “terrible ordeal”.

He noted that Mr Davis had a black eye but said “it seems that your vicious, savage and brutal response was highly disproportionate and it continued even though he was already disabled.

“You were aggressive, challenged others to fight, and threatened to finish him off by stomping on his head,” Judge Morzone said.

He said at Cairns Hospital, Mr Davis became “enraged and abusive” and kicked a police officer.

“The offending was vicious and cowardly … prolonged and vicious use of a knife,” Judge Morzone said.

Prosecutor Nathan Crane said there was no evidence the victim had provoked Davis.

“It really seemed he was proceeding to the area where, as a homeless man, he slept during the day,” Mr Crane said.

He said the injuries were serious and it was unlikely the victim was standing when they were all inflicted.

“There were penetrations to the neck to one side and two to the other side, there was sustained violence to that area of the body and seven other areas of the body,” Mr Crane said.

“Witnesses saw repeated threats from Mr Davis to cave his head in.

“The injuries were catastrophic, he nearly died, that’s the reality.”

Originally published as Cairns crime: Danny Davis sentenced to 7 years in Cairns court for ‘prolonged and vicious’ attack