Young woman tells of wounding

Press, 17 June 1988, Page 7

Young woman tells of wounding

A young woman said in the District Court yesterday that she had lost part of her vision after an attack by Lance William Smith, aged 32, in the premises they had shared, in the early morning of May 1.

Smith was said to have stabbed the woman, Paula Janette Roden, aged 22, with a large bayonet-type knife with a blade 25cm long, gouged her eyes, hit her about the body with an ashtray stand, and bitten a finger. She slipped in and out of consciousness.

After a preliminary hearing yesterday, Smith was committed for trial by jury in the High Court on three charges relating to events that morning. The charges were of wounding Miss Roden with intent to cause her

grievous bodily harm, and of earlier stealing a van valued at $2OOO, belonging to Steven Michael McSherry, and assaulting Andrew James Dawson to enable him to unlawfully take Mr McSherry’s van.

Messrs C. W. Crawford and J. D. Pansing, Justices of the Peace, remanded Smith in custody pending a date for his trial.

Sergeant K. J. Morrison prosecuted and Mr D. J. R. Holderness appeared for Smith. Prosecution evidence was given that Mr Dawson had been drunk at a party and was sleeping it off in Mr McSherry’s van, parked in Rutherford Street, opposite where the party was held. He woke up on the footpath to see the van disappearing along the road.

He did not know what had happened because he was too drunk, but he had a lump on his jaw. Other evidence was that Miss Roden and Smith, who had lived with her, also went to the party. They had consumed alcohol and tablets earlier. She left the party to get some liquor, called home and then visited a friend before returning to the party. She found Smith was not there, but found his hat in the gutter opposite the house. She returned home, and found he was in bed apparently asleep. Miss Roden said she was later awakened by Smith hitting her and kicking her out of her bed.

She fell to the floor and went -into the lounge, covering herself with the bedspread to protect herself.

She was then struck several times with an ashtray stand, and after this he stabbed her in her temple with a bayonet, which was usually in a steel sheath beside the fireplace. He also gouged her eyes and bit one of her fingers as she screamed and tried to push him away. Miss Roden said she sought help from a neighbour, not knowing how she got to their house. She was taken to hospital.

She said she had lost part of her vision and this had not returned.

She could get epileptic fits and was “a bit unbalanced.”

Cross-examined, Miss Roden said Smith had had three different types of tablets as well as alcohol during the day they went to the party. Questioned by Detective Constable C. K. Eade, Smith said he could not remember anything as he was on these pills.

He said Miss Roden left him at the party and went off.

Further questioned he said he might have got home by converting the van. However he did not see anybody in it, he said.

Other evidence was that the van was, recovered from where it was parked on the property occupied by Smith and Miss Roden. Among injuries suffered by Miss Roden was a fractured temporal bone,

according to medical evidence.