‘Come on bro’: Lawyer says meth fuelled Simon Singh’s Gill St stabbing

A Charters Towers stabbing incident that occurred in broad daylight on Gill St was the result of two former prisoners coming across each other and “shadow boxing” as they argued.

Townsville District Court heard Singh was walking down Gill St on November 16, 2023, when he ran into a man he knew from Townsville Correctional Centre.

A broad daylight stabbing on Gill St in Charters Towers was the result of two former prisoners coming across each other and “shadow boxing” as they argued.

Simon Singh, 26, appeared in Townsville District Court after pleading guilty to one count of wounding for his role in the fight.

Townsville District Court heard Singh was walking down Gill St on November 16, 2023, when he ran into a man he knew from Townsville Correctional Centre.

The two former prisoners were not on good terms - Singh had previously threatened to burn the other man’s house down and “stomp on his head”, Crown prosecutor Rana Aldas said.

“Ultimately, the parties came together, (Singh) having yelled out ‘come on bro’ and gotten into a fighter’s stance and shadow boxing,” Ms Aldas said.

“There was a verbal argument where (Singh) threatened to stab the complainant.”

The men split apart without any injuries, but later on, while the victim was looking at Google Maps directions on his phone, Singh came up behind him and stabbed him under the right arm, the court heard.

The offending was captured on CCTV footage.

Gill St, Charters Towers

Ms Aldas said the footage shows Singh and his friends then “ran away, and while they did they were laughing”.

The victim ended up with three separate 1cm deep cuts caused by a “tyre punch” knife found discarded near the scene which had a 10-15cm long blade, the court heard.

Singh’s defence barrister Ross Malcomson said his client was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time.

“He’s spent a large portion of his life on the Gold Coast, and the plan is the return to the Gold Coast,” Mr Malcomson said of Singh’s plans upon release.

The court heard parts of Singh’s criminal history, which included choking and punching women, and one incident when he took his dog into a store and when it lunged at a woman with a child and it was kicked away by another man, Singh got a tyre iron and tried to assault the man who’d protected the child.

Charters Towers police located Singh at a home, causing him to climb out a window and run at officers, who drew their tasers during the altercation and took Singh to the ground.

Singh has spent the last 371 days in pre-sentence custody.

Judge Ian Dearden sentenced Singh to two and a half years imprisonment for the wounding, and taking into account the 371 days he’s already served, ordered an immediate parole release.

Originally published as ‘Come on bro’: Lawyer says meth fuelled Simon Singh’s Gill St stabbing