by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A “blind drunk” Dandenong North man who stabbed a housemate in bed and violently robbed a driver at traffic lights has been jailed for up to seven-and-a-half years.
Frank Pritchard, 43, pleaded guilty at the Victorian Supreme Court to intentionally causing serious injury, robbery and driving at dangerous speed.
On 29 April 2023, an “incoherent” Pritchard returned home, jumped on top of his housemate, and stabbed him six times in the chest and abdomen with a knife.
The critically-injured victim managed to push Pritchard off and drag himself to a neighbour’s home for help. He later made a full recovery.
“He was so scary that night. For him to be like that, act like that for absolutely no reason, is crazy,” the victim later told police.
“He must have been on drugs, he was definitely drunk, but there was no argument.”
Pritchard drove off in the housemate’s Commodore, stopping at the lights at Stud and Heatherton roads to hold up an Uber driver about 9.30pm.
After threatening and patting down the driver for money, he punched the man in the face and took cash from the car.
Shortly afterwards, three traffic cameras detected Pritchard travelling at 144 km/h or more.
Later, Pritchard told police he had little memory of the events, admitting he was “blind drunk” at the time.
Justice Jane Dixon on 25 October said his conduct was an “appalling example of the dangers of excessive consumption of alcohol, especially when combined with other drugs”.
“It is only a matter of good fortune that swift medical intervention saved (the victim’s) life.”
At the time, Pritchard was effectively homeless, unemployed, estranged from his children and grieving his late father.
“Voluntary substance abuse provides no excuse” though it went towards explaining the “otherwise inexplicable behaviour”.
Formerly from New Zealand, Pritchard was at risk of deportation after sentence. He had “good” rehabilitation prospects if he abstained from alcohol and drugs, Justice Dixon said.
Pritchard will be eligible for parole after serving five years’ jail. It includes 423 days in pre-sentence detention.
