KNIFE CRIME: Six stabbings that shocked Toowoomba
FROM a man who stabbed his brother in a heated argument to a battered woman acting in self defence, there is something very personal about a stabbing.
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A KNIFE wound, however superficial, has the potential to slice a major artery, leading to rapid blood loss and in the worst case, death.
It is for this reason that the courts and police come down hard when a knife is used during an assault.
Here as seven stabbings that caused a stir in Toowoomba in recent years.
1. Battered woman stabbed her partner.
A NEWTOWN woman was haunted by the memory of previous assaults when she and her partner argued after a night of causal drinking in front of the television.
She recognised his pattern of behaviour and feared he would turn violent again.
In a pre-emptive move, she armed herself with a 7cm paring knife and went on the offensive, on January 23, 2019
The 59-year-old woman pleaded guilty in the Toowoomba District Court in June 12, 2020 to one count of wounding.
The court heard she stabbed the man's elbow but later felt remorseful, phoned Triple-0 and mopped up the blood while she waited for paramedics to arrive.
Read More: Violent partner stabbed in pre-emptive domestic assault
2. Knife used in a violent assault
A TEENAGER had part of his liver sliced in a violent struggle after a fight in a Wilsonton Park in February 24, 2020.
At the time he was retreating from a fight with another boy, when a 14-year-old boy stepped forward and stabbed him in the stomach.
The victim spent a week in hospital and had a catheter attached for six weeks.
On May 15 the offender pleaded guilty in the Children's Court of Queensland to grievous bodily harm and armed robbery in company.
At the time Crown Prosecutor Alysha Ballantyne said he "showed little remorse."
He was sentenced to nine months in detention, wholly suspended and also placed on a 12-month probation order.
Read More: Young teenager walks free after committing violent crimes
3. Ice-fuel attacker stabs mum in front of her son
A TOOWOOMBA man who stabbed a woman in the face and kicked another in the head during an ice-fuelled fit of rage was jailed for seven years, on November 15, 2017.
Casey Desmond George Lander, 29 at the time, pleaded guilty in the Toowoomba Supreme Court to committing a malicious act and assault occasioning bodily harm.
Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso said Lander turned up at the Wilsonton home of the complainants on the night of July 9, 2016 and went into a bedroom where he took "ice".
He came out and backhanded a man, who then left, before arguing with a woman.
After grabbing a small knife from the table, he pushed the woman onto a couch and struck her four times in the face causing four puncture wounds.
Lander also assaulted a boy when he came to the aid of his mum.
READ MORE: Ice-fuelled attack on women ends in seven-year jail term
4. Kid stabbed over paedophile rumours
A WARWICK woman who supplied canabis to two boys, aged 13 and 14, flew into a violent rage when one of the boys said there were rumours around town that she was a paedophile.
On June 18, 2020 the Toowoomba Supreme Court heard the woman grabbed a knife and threatened the boys, ordering them to reveal the source of the rumour.
She later phoned more boys and asked them to attend her home to help her extract the truth.
A scuffle broke out while the woman was holding the knife and one of the boys received puncture wound.
In sentencing Judge Martin Burns said the woman was lucky the boy was not seriously injured or killed.
"What you were doing was corrupting children," he said.
Read More: Woman supplies teens with drugs, stabs 14yo boy
5. Man stabs brother
A MAN who "snapped" and stabbed his older brother for teasing him about his medical condition avoided actual jail time when he was sentenced in the Toowoomba District Court on November 18, 2019.
Brendan Mark Whittaker suffered from epilepsy and a painful skin disease for which he was medicated and was being teased by his older brother that his epilepsy wasn't as serious as he made out during an argument at home in Toowoomba on July 18, 2018.
The 27-year-old went inside the house and retrieved a knife before returning to his older brother in the yard, the Toowoomba District Court heard.
Despite their father getting between the warring siblings Whittaker stabbed his brother in the thigh, causing a 5cm laceration and puncturing skin and muscle,
Whittaker pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding and was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for 18 months.
Read More: 'Provocation' no excuse for stabbing own brother, says judge
6 . Wife acquitted at trial after stabbing her husband
The Toowoomba District Court jury took just 30 minutes to determine that Kristine Maree Blencowe was innocent by way of self-defence after she stabbed her husband.
During the trial on February 19, 2020, the court heard Ms Blencowe's husband threw a laptop at her after she raised her voice during an argument on April 14, 2019.
During an ensuing scuffle, Ms Blencowe said she had tried to scratch, kick and push her husband away but he had appeared angry and grabbed her shoulder and arm.
She said she reached back into a drawer, grabbed what turned out to be a knife which she swung, striking her husband in the neck.
Blood spurted out prompting Ms Blencowe to get a first aid kit and phone Triple-0.
Read More: Woman who stabbed her husband acquitted at trial
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