Austin Cornish guilty of armed robbery stabbing on Brisbane St

A young Tasmanian man took his victim out drinking to a popular nightclub before “all of a sudden and without warning” produced a flick-knife. His victim feels “lucky” to be alive.

Lonnies Niteclub. Picture: Facebook

A young Tasmanian man drunk and high on drugs went out drinking with a person previously unknown to him before suddenly turning on him, stabbing him in the neck and abdomen in the course of an armed robbery.

Newnham man Austin Mathew Cornish, 20, pleaded guilty in Launceston Supreme Court on Thursday to charges of aggravated armed robbery and wounding.

Cornish met his victim, a 24-year-old South Launceston man, at East Launceston on the night of June 4 this year. The pair, accompanied by a third man, Max Ethan Jillett, 19, struck up a conversation and it was decided the victim would accompany them to Lonnies Niteclub.

There, they began drinking, with the victim consuming approximately five drinks, the court heard.

After they left the nightclub, they walked up Brisbane St Ave before, in the alcove at the entrance of Brisbane Arcade, Cornish “all of a sudden and without warning” produced a flick knife and held it to the victim’s throat.

Newnham man Austin Mathew Cornish, 20. Picture: Facebook

He demanded his Gucci wallet, worth $500, before also taking his victim’s iPhone 12, worth $1500.

After both items were handed over, Cornish “became irrational” and stabbed his victim in the neck and abdomen. The neck wound required suturing in Launceston General Hospital.

The court heard Jillett did not play an active role in the robbery but also did nothing to prevent it. There is no allegation of wrongdoing against Jillett, nor was he charged with any ofences.

Cornish’s victim was able to identify the offender to police as they had added each other on Facebook earlier.

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Cornish had consumed illicit substances earlier in the night, as well as alcohol, the court heard, and it was submitted on his behalf he had little recollection of the night after meeting his victim.

His victim wrote an impact statement, which was read to the court.

In it, the man said he felt anxious and hopeless after the incident.

“It is hard for me to make friends. I feel lonely and get depressed. My mental state is preventing me from meeting and trusting new people… I find it hard to leave the house,” he said.

He did, however, feel “lucky” to still be alive.

It was submitted on Cornish’s behalf that he left the family home at age 15 and began consuming illicit substances including MDMA, cannabis and methamphetamine.

Although he lived an itinerant lifestyle between then and the commission of the current offending, he had maintained a good work history, the court was told.

However, he lost his job at KFC Mowbray after he was charged with the current offending.

The court was told Cornish had stopped using illicit substances and was engaging with mental health professionals. He went to the gym daily as an outlet.

Justice Robert Pearce adjourned his decision to a later date, to enable the production of an assessment report to see if Cornish is suitable for community-based orders. He cautioned, however, that he had not made his mind up yet as to whether community-based orders were an appropriate sentencing outcome.