Girl allegedly killed ‘violent’ father with two stab wounds to heart

Maddison Hickson, 23, allegedly killed her father in 2021 by stabbing him twice in the heart during a heated argument.

A woman has faced court accused of fatally stabbing her father twice in the heart during a heated argument, in a trial which began on Tuesday.

Maddison Hickson, 23, pleaded not guilty to murdering Michael John Carroll, 51, in the suburb of Tenambit, Maitland on January 16, 2021.

Taylah Renae McDonald is being tried alongside Ms Hickson for allegedly helping her cover up the crime by putting the knife in the dishwasher afterwards and lying to police.

She pleaded not guilty to assisting Ms Hickson as well as the alternative charge of moving the knife and mislead investigating police.

Crown prosecutor, Brian Costello, told the NSW Supreme Court in Newcastle that Mr Carroll had previously served time in jail for violent crimes and had a history of drug use and domestic violence involving Ms Hickson’s mother.

Maddison Hickson, 23, is accused of fatally stabbing her father Michael Carroll twice in the heart. Picture: Facebook

According to the Crown case, an argument broke out between Ms Hickson and Mr Carroll at a property where Ms McDonald resided.

“The Crown case is that they were involved in a verbal argument that escalated into a physical confrontation,” Mr Costello told the court.

“While they were close together and likely while Mr Carroll was trying to grab his daughter, she stabbed him twice in the chest.”

The Crown will allege Ms Hickson stabbed her father out of “anger and frustration” rather than self-defence, as is expected to be argued by her lawyers.

Mr Costello said that during the argument, Ms Hickson was heard by witnesses saying words to the effect of “f**king stop it, Dad; get the f**k out”.

Mr Carroll was heard to call his daughter a “slut” which allegedly escalated the argument, the court was told.

CCTV footage of the exterior of the residence captured Mr Carroll walking outside following the argument and collapsing to the ground.

“At that point, he’d been stabbed twice in the chest, with those two wounds penetrating his heart,” the Crown prosecutor told the court.

“Within minutes after he left he had most likely died from those two stab wounds.”

51-year-old stabbing victim Michael John Carroll.

Immediately after she is alleged to have stabbed her father, Ms Hickson fled the house carrying her phone and keys and was driven to her mother's house, Mr Costello told the court.

The driver of the car is expected to testify hearing Ms Hickson say, “Get me away from him. Take me to my mummy, I want my mummy.”

The court heard she would later tell her mother “he attacked me; I think I stabbed my dad”, or words to that effect.

Ms Hickson’s lawyer, Peter Krisenthal, said during his opening statement that Mr Carroll’s history of violence would help establish she was acting out of self defence when she stabbed him.

The court was also told by Mr Krisenthal that Mr Carroll had a tendency to consume illicit drugs – particularly methamphetamine – and then to act in a manner which was “paranoid and aggressive”.

“I expect you will hear evidence Mr Carroll had a tendency to become violent, including with the use of weapons, to assault and intimidate people with whom he had grievance,” Mr Krisenthal said.

“Unfortunately, it’s not in dispute that Maddison Hickson stabbed her father on that particular day.

“But it is the defence case that … she was defending herself.”

The trial is expected to run for three weeks.