Robert Ian Huntley: Men allegedly injured after Sanctuary Cove wine bar stabbing give evidence
Two men injured when the director of an insurance brokerage allegedly stabbed a member of their party at a ritzy wine bar at Sanctuary Cove have given evidence to a court.
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A court has been told of the chaos that unfolded at a Gold Coast wine bar after a company director allegedly produced a knife and stabbed a patron who had earlier been involved in a verbal stoush with the defendant’s wife.
Former Sanctuary Cove resident Robert Ian Huntley, 56 – who according to court records now resides at Cheltenham in Melbourne – was charged after allegedly stabbing Darren Bowen at fancy local watering hole Destino Wine & Cocktail Bar on September 25 last year.
Police allege two other men connected to Mr Bowen were injured during the melee, which the defence submitted previously was touched off by certain comments made to Mr Huntley’s wife while she was at the wine bar.
Mr Huntley, who at the time of the alleged stabbing was a director of Sydney-based insurance brokerage Everest Risk Group, is facing four charges: grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, unlawful wounding, and drink driving.
No pleas have been entered.
Mr Huntley faced the first of an expected two-day committal hearing in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday, June 2, where he was represented by top Queensland silk Jeffrey Hunter KC.
The two men aside from Mr Bowen who were allegedly injured during the melee gave evidence. Neither man is facing charges over the incident.
Ashley John McMillin, who police say sustained a fractured hip – he entered the courtroom with the aid of a walking stick – told the court he was outside having a cigarette when he heard a commotion.
“It was all going off... all I heard is, ‘You’ve stabbed me,’ he had the knife... [and] I just went, that’s not good,” Mr McMillan said.
“I just grabbed him, I thought, he’s going to kill somebody.”
Mr McMillin agreed he grabbed Mr Huntley from behind around the neck, telling the court he did so after the third man allegedly injured, Phillip James Mahoney, was cut on his hand with the knife while trying to disarm Mr Huntley.
“I pulled him back to stop it happening,” Mr McMillin said.
He told the court he had only had two drinks before the incident.
However, Mr Hunter took him to hospital records obtained by the defence, in which Mr McMillin was said to have told medicos he drank “at least” 12 beers a day and had done so for a decade.
Mr McMillin conceded he drank beer most days, but denied having an alcohol problem or drinking nearly as much as the quantum claimed in the medical records.
Mr Mahoney, who allegedly sustained a cut to his hand while trying to disarm Mr Huntley, also gave evidence, telling the court he was “trying to get the knife off him, he was swinging it, and it hit my hand”.
Mr Mahoney said he missed Mr Huntley first approaching their group’s table, having been in the bathroom, but upon his return he heard the defendant ask, “Who upset my missus?”
According to Mr Mahoney, Mr Bowen responded by approaching Mr Huntley and telling him, “That would be me.”
He said the pair were about three feet apart when Mr Huntley “lunged forward” and a woman at the table said, “Look out, he’s got a knife.”
Mr Mahoney said both he and Mr McMillin collapsed to the ground alongside Mr Huntley, who he described as appearing intoxicated, during the struggle for the knife.
He told the court Mr McMillin struck the bar when Mr Huntley “threw” him off while attempting to get up.
The committal hearing is expected to resume on September 26.
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Originally published as Robert Ian Huntley: Men allegedly injured after Sanctuary Cove wine bar stabbing give evidence
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