Danielle Kelso found not guilty of unlawfully stabbing “jealous” F-Buddy Brent Salis in Toowoomba unit

A jury has found a Toowoomba woman not guilty of unlawfully stabbing her former ‘friend with benefits’ with a steak knife during an argument inside a Toowoomba unit in 2020.

Trial: Danielle Jade Kelso leaving the Toowoomba courthouse after pleading not guilty to stabbing Brent Salis at a Toowoomba unit in 2020.

A jury has found a woman not guilty of unlawfully stabbing her former ‘friend with benefits’ during an an early morning argument in a Toowoomba unit after the man allegedly threatened to hit her and refused to leave her home.

On Friday, November 8, a jury found Danielle Jade Kelso pleaded not guilty of unlawfully wounding Brent Salis with a steak knife on January 5, 2020, at Kearney Springs.

As a result of the incident, Mr Salis received a small but deep cut to his forearm and a photo of the injury was shown to the jurors.

During day one of the trial, the court heard the pair began their friendship around September or October 2019 after Mr Salis saw Ms Kelso’s dating profile on Plenty of Fish along with her Snapchat details which he began taking to her through.

Trial: Danielle Jade Kelso leaving the Toowoomba courthouse after pleading not guilty to stabbing Brent Salis at a Toowoomba unit in 2020.

Mr Salis testified the pair’s relationship went beyond that of a normal friendship and was more of an “open relationship,” which strained after Ms Kelso allowed him to move into her unit on a short-term basis.

It was put to Mr Salis by barrister Frank Martin that the pair weren’t in any kind of relationship, they had only been intimate twice while living together, and he had been controlling and jealous towards Ms Kelso - Mr Salis disagreed.

The jurors’ heard hostility around the pair’s living situation escalated on January 5, 2020, when the pair began arguing about money and when Ms Salis was moving out.

Ms Kelso was sitting in bed at the time eating spaghetti on toast with a fork and steak knife.

Mr Salis said he had followed her into her room to “confront her” about her mood and asked “are u going to pretend I don’t exist?”

Mr Salis said they then argued about money she owed.

He said Ms Kelso asked him, “what do you want from me c-nt?” And became angrier after he responded with “more respect than that you’re giving me now”.

“You don’t own me,” he alleged she said.

“You don’t own this f-cking p-ssy.

“Do you want to go c-nt?”

It is at that point the Crown alleged Ms Kelso stood up on the bed and lunged at Mr Salis with the knife, lacerating his arm.

Defence barrister Martin put to Mr Salis that he was standing over Ms Kelso in an aggressive and threatening manner and had been about to hit her when she retaliated in a reactionary way with the knife - Mr Salis disagreed.

When asked about his history of domestic violence against a former partner, Mr Salis agreed he had relevant charges however it had been a decade ago.

He also agreed he was suspicious that Ms Kelso was having sex with another man.

The body camera footage from an arresting officer was shown to the court, and Ms Kelso was heard saying she had been trying to get Mr Salis to leave, and she “just lost it” after he “got in her face” and threatened to hot her.

She also told police Mr Salis was obsessive and controlling and in the moment she was scared because of his history.

When questioned by police about the status of pair’s “relationship” she said she was “straight up” from the beginning that a relationship was not on the cards.

In his closing address to the jury on Friday, November 8, barrister Martin told the jury Ms Kelso rightfully, lawfully, and reflexively acted in self defence noting she imminently went to his aid after he received a “small nick”.

The jury retired to consider their verdict at 10.30am on Friday, November 8, and reached a not guilty verdict about 12pm-1pm.