By Sally Rawsthorne
A man who allegedly waited inside his former girlfriend’s north shore home and stabbed her new partner during an argument about money will remain behind bars until at least September after failing in his bid for bail under new tightened domestic violence legislation.
Police allege Connor Hearn, 23, was waiting inside the kitchen of the Roseville house he had previously lived in on Monday evening when his former girlfriend and her new boyfriend came home.
“There’s an argument about some money being owed and she asks him to leave,” said Magistrate Robyn Denes in summing up the allegations in Manly Local Court on Tuesday. “There’s more arguments, then ultimately Mr Hearn [allegedly] arms himself with a knife and stabs the male victim.”
The alleged stabbing victim, Oscar Tatham, drove himself to Royal North Shore Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He remains there in a stable condition.
Tatham “thought he was going to die from the injury”, court documents obtained by the Herald said.
“There is a substantial wound to the main victim,” the police prosecutor told the court. “If guilty, [Hearn] will receive a lengthy full-time custodial sentence.”
Investigators arrested Hearn in North Manly close to his family home, where he was allegedly walking the streets covered in blood, shortly after the incident.
Police will allege in court they also found a bloodied knife inside Hearn’s home.
It has been seized for forensic examinations.
Hearn was taken to Manly police station, where he was charged with wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
If convicted, he faces up to 25 years imprisonment.
Wearing a blue jacket, Hearn appeared in the court via audio-visual link and only interacted with the court when asked by his lawyer to show his hands which had a number of cuts and bandages.
“Two things are problematic - this is a domestic violence matter and a knife domestic violence matter at that. Two big red flags that the community is hugely concerned about at the moment,” Denes told the court.
“Too many people are dying in their homes, there are too many people being stabbed in their homes. That’s why the legislation has changed,” she said.
In response to community uproar about the murder of Molly Ticehurst, allegedly at the hands of her ex-boyfriend while he was on bail for assaulting her, the Minns government has tightened bail laws to make serious domestic assault “show cause matters”, meaning the accused must show why detention is not justified.
If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
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