Man sentenced to six years jail for ‘brutal’ attack in which he tried to saw off wife’s leg

A MAN convicted of viciously attacking his wife before trying to cut through her leg with a handsaw during an ‘inexplicable’ attack has been sentenced to six years behind bars.

A man convicted of viciously attacking his wife before trying to cut through her leg with a handsaw during an ‘inexplicable’ attack has been sentenced to six years behind bars.

A MAN convicted of viciously attacking his wife before trying to cut through her leg with a handsaw during an “inexplicable” attack has been sentenced to six years behind bars.

Selwyn Pascoe, 32, appeared in the Darwin Supreme Court via videolink on Friday pleading guilty to intentionally causing serious harm and assaulting a person trying to prevent further harm.

The court heard Pascoe, of Maningrida, was visiting family in Darwin with his wife and young children on the evening of January 6 this year.

He and his family had been drinking in a Coconut Grove apartment when he got into a fight with his wife that quickly became violent.

After she threw crockery at Pascoe, the court heard he grabbed her by the hair and punched her in the face several times.

He then stomped on her shoulder and kicked her in the back while she was on the ground.

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An unknown person intervened and struck Pascoe on the head, which sent him into a rage taking a knife from his pocket and stabbing his wife in the hip.

His wife was holding their one-year-old child at the time, attempting to shield the child from Pascoe.

The court heard he then pulled a foldable handsaw from his pants and started sawing into the victim’s thigh.

He was heard saying “I’m going to kill you dead” and “I will make you a cripple and put you in a wheelchair”.

Another family member attempted to intervene before Pascoe assaulted her too, cutting her hand with the saw.

Pascoe’s wife suffered major injuries that involved multiple surgeries including the loss of about 5 per cent of the muscle in her leg.

Pascoe was arrested that evening and has been in custody since.

His defence lawyer Marty Aust told the court the attack was “not a reflection” of his client’s character.

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But Justice Graham Hiley described the attack as “inexplicable”.

“Your assault was brutal, it was callous and sustained,” he said.

Pascoe will be eligible for parole after three years.