Man’s life threatened by stabbing in Square

Press, 13 June 1986, Page 12

Man’s life threatened by stabbing in Square

A man was stabbed several times near the bus kiosk in Cathedral Square, while persons were waiting for buses nearby, and one stab wound penetrated the victim’s heart causing a potentially lifethreatening injury. This was said in the District Court yesterday during the preliminary hearing against two men of a joint charge of attempting to murder Alan Leslie O’Brien, aged 24, a press operator. The two defendants were Robert Thomas Francis Crimp, aged 22, unemployed (Mr E. Bedo), and Brent William Pool, aged 28, unemployed (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon). Each also was separately charged with unlawful possession of a knife in Cathedral Square. The hearing, before Messrs R. C. Holland and J. B. Andersen, Justices of the Peace, will continue today. The police, represented by Mr D. J. L. Saunders, are calling 23 witnesses. Mr Saunders in his opening outline of the case, detailed evidence to be given in relation to the charges, and said that immediately before the alleged attack on February 19 the defendants had been seen to enter Cathedral Square in a rather boisterous, angry, and violent mood, after walking from a hotel in Colombo Street north of the Square. They had damaged. a van which was travelling through the Square. Mr Saunders said that after being allegedly

punched and stabbed, Mr O’Brien was admitted to hospital with grievous injuries. One of the wounds penetrated Mr O’Brien’s heart and was potentially life-threatening. The incident was seen by a number of eye-wit-nesses, as they waited for buses. The defendants were followed to the rear of the Cathedral where they were apprehended by the police. Both men had knives; one still had a knife in his possession and the other was seen to try to discard his knife near where he was apprehended. Mr Saunders said both men, when interviewed, denied any real involvement. One claimed he could not remember anything of the incident, although he remembered trying to pull his companion off another person. In spite of the defendants’ clothing, hands and shoes appearing to be covered in blood, neither made any admissions about what happened, Mr Saunders said. He said there was no evidence that Mr O’Brien was armed, or had any offensive weapon on him at the time. The police case was that there was no justification for the punching and stabbing which led to the very serious injuries to Mr O’Brien. Mr O’Brien gave evidence of travelling to the city and meeting a workmate, Carl Gardner, on the evening of February 19.

After a short time in a tavern they went to a cinema. After leaving the theatre they went to a hamburger bar in the Square to purchase food and then walked towards the bus kiosk. He recalled seeing two people crossing the road towards him, and then he was stabbed. He could not describe the people or remember much about the incident. He said they might have said something to each other or sworn at each other. He did not know. He remembered getting hit. He did not realise he had been stabbed until after he woke up in hospital. Mr O’Brien said he thought he suffered seven stab wounds or injuries. They were to the head, chest, stomach, back, and an arm. He thought he was hit on the head first, and then sustained the blows to his body. Cross-examined, he said he might have smoked some marijuana earlier in the evening with Mr Gardner. He had consumed about three or four beers at the tavern before going to the cinema. Asked whether marijuana combined with alcohol made, him aggressive, he said it did not. He did not remember what happened before the attack. The other person could have pushed him and he could have sworn at the other person. Asked if he remembered throwing anything, he said he remembered having a hamburger bag. He remembered Mr Gardner was pushed before he (witness) was stabbed. He thought he did something after seeing his friend pushed. Carl Hapeta Gardner, unemployed, said he was with Mr O’Brien that evening. After leaving the cinema about 10.30 p.m. they went to the Dog House hamburger bar and, walking back towards the bus kiosk, they saw somebody walk out in front of them and ask something like, "Is this a hassle?” ' The witness did not know to whom the remark was addressed. The person who said it was the taller of the two men. The witness saw the top of a knife protruding from the taller man’s trousers. This man then turned and Mr O’Brien threw his empty hamburger packet at him.

The taller man then jabbed and lunged at Mr O’Brien, with blows hitting his chest and stomach. Mr O’Brien then fell to the ground. The witness ran across the Square to get help. Cross-examined, Mr Gardner said he did not see the smaller of the two men with a knife. He said he saw the taller man’s knife stuck in his trousers. Wendy Margaret Clay-ton-Jones, a wine steward, said that as she walked south on Colombo Street, towards the Square, about 10.30 p.m. she saw two men ahead of her. The taller man had a beard and shoulder length hair. They swayed on the footpath and appeared to be drunk. She walked towards a bus stop near the kiosk and waited for a bus. Soon after, the same two men walked over a crossing and there was the a confrontation with another man, outside the bus kiosk. The taller man attacked the man they had just come upon. The third man did not retaliate, but folded his arms over his torso trying to protect himself. The scuffle lasted a few seconds, and the two attackers walked away. The other man took a few steps and fell to the ground.

After the attack the witness walked into the Square to try to find a policeman. Near the Cathedral she saw the two men again, and followed them in an easterly direction past the rear of the Cathedral, until a policeman arrived and she pointed the men out to him.

The policeman, helped by a bus driver, apprehended the men at the Worcester Street entrance to the Square. Cross-examined, Miss Clayton-Jones was asked whether she thought the men were drunk or stoned when she saw them swaying on the footpath. She said it could have been both. She did not see what started the scuffle, which continued for about eight seconds. Hayley Ruth ClaytonJones, a waitress, and sister of the previous witness, gave similar evidence of seeing the men, whom she identified as the defendants, walking in a disorderly fashion towards the Square, as if they had had a few drinks. In the Square the men then walked towards the

bus kiosk. She then saw a man run past the bus stop where she was waiting. She saw the taller defendant fighting another man, who then fell to the ground. She saw later that the man had been stabbed. The shorter man was trying to pull his companion away, after the man had fallen to the ground. They then walked off, towards the back of the Cathedral. The man on the ground got up, stumbled and fell again, and was assisted by others at the scene. The witness remained there while her sister followed the two defendants. An employee of a sports goods shop gave evidence of a man whom he knew as “Stretch” (Pool) calling at the shop with another man on the afternoon of February 19, and asking to look at a boot' knife. He purchased two knives. Evidence was given by Raymond John Daly, a mechanic, of driving his van in Cathedral Square about 10.30 p.m. and waiting for traffic lights, when two men, scruffily dressed began banging with their fists on his vehicle. He drove through a red light to get away, and reported the matter to the police. Damage to his vehicle amounted to $484. Corine Joy Waterman, unemployed, gave evidence of seeing two men beating up the van. She then saw them outside the bus kiosk, involved in a scuffle with two others. One man ran off, chased by the taller man, who pulled out a knife from his clothes. He then returned, and the “level of violence” picked up again, with pushing and shoving. The taller man then stabbed the other man in the back, and as he fell he was stabbed about the middle of his body. There were about five to seven stabbing motions. The witness said she thought the shorter man took a couple of swings at the victim, or it could have been grabbing hold of him. Miss Waterman said that after seeing the victim collapse she went over to him, saw blood spurting from his chest, and put her hands over a wound to stop the bleeding. She said she did not think she could recognise the men again. Cross-examined, she said she was not sure whether the shorter man struck the victim.