Thomas Stapleton-Wescott attempted murder trial told neighbour found victims and house covered in blood

A heroic neighbour who rushed to help two housemates injured in a horror axe attack has told a court there wasn’t a single part of the house not “covered in blood”.

A man has told a court of the horrifying moment he found two neighbours “covered in blood” and fighting for life 19 hours after they were allegedly attacked with an axe on Anzac Day in 2023.

Smithfield Plains man Anthony Lawrence Randall, 74, appeared in the Supreme Court last Friday in front of the Honourable Justice David Lovell to give evidence in the judge-alone trial of Thomas Stapleton-Wescott, 34.

Mr Stapleton-Wescott has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated cause serious harm.

Mr Randall told the court he began to question the wellbeing of his neighbours, Neil Sieben and Antoinette Macskimming, after witnessing a man with arm tattoos leaving their property the day after the alleged attack.

Thomas Stapleton-Wescott is appearing in the District Court for a double attempted murder trial. Picture: Facebook

The man then drove past Mr Randall and using his fingers to display a “gun motion”.

“I proceeded to ring Neil to see whether he was all right – I got a gurbly sound,” he said. “I proceeded to run like hell to the house.

“All I seen was blood. I called to Toni, she barely answered so I went up to her bed, got her hands and I said to her ‘hang on, just don’t move, just hang on because I gotta find Neil’. I called out to Neil and he barely answered.

“The kitchen was covered in blood – there wasn’t a part of the house I didn’t see (that) wasn’t covered in blood.

“I found him (Neil) on the side of the bed – blood pouring out of his head and I said to ‘don’t move … help is on the way’.”

During her opening address last week, prosecutor Melissa Wilkinson alleged the two victims were “left for dead” by Mr Stapleton-Wescott who was mourning the death of his father and was frustrated over a dispute in regard to his late dad’s belongings – namely a caravan in the driveway of the victims’ home and bought in Ms Macskimming’s name.

Ms Wilkinson told the court Mr Stapleton-Wescott allegedly entered the home of Mr Sieben and Ms Macskimming armed with a small axe or hatchet, before striking them both with “significant force” to the head.

However, David Moen, for Mr Stapleton-Wescott, rejected claims his client had any involvement in the alleged attempted murder, telling the court his client’s brother was the alleged perpetrator instead.

The trial continues.

Originally published as Thomas Stapleton-Wescott attempted murder trial told neighbour found victims and house covered in blood