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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Canberra Man Found Guilty of Attempted Murder After Wife Stabbing

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A Canberra man has been found guilty of attempting to murder his wife by stabbing her.
  • The jury heard the attack involved punching, choking, and strangling the victim in front of their daughter.
  • The man, who cannot be identified, will be sentenced at a later date.

An ACT Supreme Court jury has convicted a Canberra man of attempted murder after he stabbed his wife in the arm during a violent domestic assault. The man, whose identity is protected by law, appeared visibly shocked as the verdicts were delivered, finding him guilty of both attempted murder and property damage. The attack occurred at the couple's Gungahlin home on July 5, 2024, nearly two years prior to the verdict.

I'm going to kill you

— The accusedWhispered by the husband to his wife during the violent attack.

The court heard that the couple had been married for 24 years and had two children, but their relationship had deteriorated significantly in the months leading up to the incident. Prosecutor Sam McLaughlin told the jury that the accused had been drinking heavily before returning home intoxicated. An argument ensued, escalating into a violent physical confrontation. "When the accused walked in the door that night he was intoxicated and conflicted," McLaughlin stated in his closing address, suggesting the man "snapped" despite wanting to save the marriage.

During the assault, the man allegedly punched, choked, and strangled his wife while their daughter was present. The daughter's distress led her to call emergency services. The prosecution detailed how the man then grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed his wife in the forearm. The knife remained lodged in her arm when she was transported to the hospital. The victim testified that the words "I'm going to kill you," whispered by her husband during the attack, continue to haunt her, and the look in his eyes convinced her he intended to kill her. She also told the court she believed he intended to continue stabbing her when he attempted to remove the knife from her arm.

Oh my God, what have I done? I've ruined everything

— The accusedSaid by the husband after the stabbing incident.

Following the stabbing, the man reportedly expressed remorse, exclaiming, "Oh my God, what have I done? I've ruined everything." The jury's guilty verdict followed the presentation of evidence detailing the severity of the attack and the victim's harrowing account. The man is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.

the words lived "rent free in my head"

— The victimDescribing the lasting impact of her husband's threat during the attack.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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