Cindy Anne Barker charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing Darwin man in Stuart Park home

A WOMAN accused of stabbing a Darwin man in the heart with a knife on Thursday could be out on bail by the middle of next week

Cindy Anne Baker, 23, an unemployed cleaner and self-described model from Katherine, faced the Darwin Local Court on Friday charged with the attempted murder of Tyrone Burns. Picture: Facebook

A WOMAN accused of stabbing a Darwin man in the heart with a knife on Thursday could be out on bail by the middle of next week.

Cindy Anne Baker, 23, an unemployed cleaner and self-described model from Katherine, faced the Darwin Local Court yesterday charged with the attempted murder of Tyrone Burns.

The court heard Baker had been drinking with a group of people at Monsoons nightclub before returning to the Stuart Park home where the alleged stabbing occurred in the early hours of Thursday.

The knife allegedly pierced Mr Burns’ heart cavity and left him fighting for life in the Royal Darwin Hospital, where he remained in an induced coma yesterday.

Prosecutor Cindy McGrath said a witness reported seeing Baker fighting with Mr Burns over a knife, after which Mr Burns said “you stabbed me, you stabbed me” and “why did you stab me?”

Ms McGrath said Baker allegedly replied “it wasn’t me” and “I didn’t mean it”.

But Baker’s lawyer, Martin Aust, said the witness’s statement “takes the matter nowhere”, describing his client’s alleged words as “ambiguous”.

“This is a very problematic case,” he said.

But Judge Alan Woodcock said he did not agree with that assessment.

“It’s certainly not a weak case, but nor could you say it was a strong one,” he said.

In applying for bail Mr Aust told the court the charges would be contested and “almost certainly” downgraded.

Mr Aust said suggestions Baker and Mr Burns were “grappling over a knife” were “absolutely disputed”.

“It’s an allegation at this stage with very little evidence to support it,” he said. “This is a matter that will be contested.”

Ms McGrath said the prosecution opposed bail based on the serious nature of the charge and the risk Baker would not return to court when required or would interfere with witnesses. “The real risk is one of flight,” she said.

But Mr Aust argued his client had no prior history of violence and would not pose a flight risk or a risk to the witnesses, who all live in Darwin, if released on bail to live with her father in Katherine.

Baker will be assessed for an electronic monitoring device before returning to court on Wednesday for a further bail hearing.