16-year-old Toowoomba teenager pleaded guilty in Children’s Court of Queensland in Toowoomba after stabbing boyfriend’s mother

A forbidden love has seen a 16-year-old Toowoomba girl front court for stabbing her boyfriend’s mum in the chest. See exactly what unfolded here.

A former Toowoomba teenager has pleaded guilty to stabbing her boyfriend’s mother in the chest twice after she reportedly voiced her disapproval of the relationship.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in Children’s Court of Queensland in Toowoomba on Tuesday, October 18 after she was charged with one count of wounding.

The court was told that on October 14, 2021, the defendant, who was 15 at the time, was in a physical altercation with her boyfriend’s mother after she found the pair at her son’s home.

“There had been some history of that non-approval … it all came to a head,” Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald told the court.

“When the complainant found (the then 15-year-old) at the home of her son, she told her to leave.

“Animosity then increased.”

Ms Friedewald told the court the teenager had sent multiple texts to her boyfriend demonstrating her feelings towards his mum.

Toowoomba Courthouse in Hume St

Within the text messages were threats, including the indication the teenager “wanted her boyfriend to stab his own mother or she would come back and do it herself”, the court was told.

“There were also threats to kill the complainant at that time,” Ms Friedewald said.

The next day on Friday, October 15, 2021, the teenager had attended her boyfriend’s home with a knife in her pocket.

After she was discovered by the mother, the incident quickly unfolded.

“(The teenager) was told to leave the house. She walked back towards the back door, saying she had property to obtain and it was at that time the complainant grabbed her from behind,” Ms Friedewald said.

“(The teenager) spun around, grabbed the knife from her pocket and stabbed the complainant twice in the chest.

The mother received two penetrative wounds and was kept in ICU overnight before being discharged.

Defence barrister Jessica Goldie told the court her client was struggling at the time of the assault “with disengaging from school, cannabis use … and multiple periods at a mental health ward”.

“She really wasn’t in a good place at the time of the offending … it’s really not something that’s within her character,” Ms Goldie said.

The teenager, who now resides in Western Australia, was remorseful, regretful, had offered insight into the offending and was addressing her mental health, the court was told.

The teenager has since been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder, and is on “stable” medication to manage the conditions.

“I’m readily able to accept the person I’m sentencing this morning is not the person who committed the offence back then,” Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC said.

“If any positive can come of this … it tells you you must comply with a medication regime and you mustn't use what are dangerous drugs.

“Cannabis isn’t a safe drug, particularly not for people who have mental health issues.

“It is a very serious offence … if you were to commit such of an offence as an adult, goodness me, the only argument is how long.”

Judge Horneman-Wren said it would be inappropriate to detain the teenager, instead issuing a two-year probationary period.

As a condition of the probation, the teenager must undertake psychological and psychiatric assessment and treatment as directed.

No conviction was recorded.