Capella’s Damon Green and Jason Smith plead not guilty to attempted murder

A Queensland grandmother has told a jury how her neighbour allegedly attempted to stab her to death while saying it would be worth going to jail to kill her.

Capella grandmother Karen O’Donnell has taken the stand to give her evidence of what happened the day Damon William Green allegedly attempted to kill her at her Burn Street residence on May 27, 2021.

A Central Queensland grandmother has told a jury how her neighbour allegedly attempted to stab her to death while saying “I will do 10 years for you. It will be worth it; killing you.”

Damon William Green, and his brother Jason Andrew Smith, both entered pleas of not guilty to one count of attempted murder, and an alternative charge of malicious act with intent, in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton on Monday.

Capella grandmother Karen O’Donnell took the stand to give her evidence of what happened the day Mr Green allegedly attempted to kill her at her Burn Street residence on May 27, 2021.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips said Mr Smith was alleged to have assisted Mr Green by following him inside the house and, at some point, taking swings at Ms O’Donnell’s family members while armed with a blade.

Ms O’Donnell said she was sitting on the back steps of her residence having a smoke on the afternoon of May 27 and observed Mr Green in the park “right next door”, talking on a phone while walking back and forth.

She said she overheard him say “the fat c--- is still there watching me”.

Ms O’Donnell said she saw him in the laneway to the back of their houses and heard a gate being shut “forcibly”.

She said she went down to the corner of her yard and saw Mr Green walking back to his house with Mr Smith running after him.

Ms O’Donnell said she went back into her house, locking the back screen door and lying on her bed at the other end of the house.

She said she heard one of her family members call out “what the f--- are you doing in my house?” and then, after looking down the hallway towards the back door, saw two of her family members tackle Mr Smith as Mr Green headed towards her.

Ms O’Donnell told the jury she saw Mr Green raise a knife and she thought “no way”.

Mr Green allegedly repeatedly stabbed Ms O’Donnell in the inner left arm and both legs while she lied on the bed, kicking out at him.

“Chillingly, as (Mr Green) is doing all of this damage with the knife, Karen heard him say ‘I will do 10 years for you. It will be worth it; killing you’,” Mr Phillips said.

Ms O’Donnell gave the same evidence, through sobs and tears, and told the court she also heard him say he was going to return “to finish it” when he got out of jail.

Mr Phillips said the alleged assault on Ms O’Donnell only stopped when the accused men’s sister, Emma Green, intervened and threw a chair at Mr Green.

The trial continues.

Originally published as Capella’s Damon Green and Jason Smith plead not guilty to attempted murder