By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A man gained some credits from a magistrate for not fleeing but giving first-aid to a person he stabbed during an afternoon argument at a Dandenong boarding house.
Shalendra Singh had been shut out of the victim’s room twice as Singh sought the return of an item on 19 June, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard.
Singh returned with a silver hunting knife, picked the room’s lock and got in a scuffle with the victim in the hallway.
Singh, who pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury and aggravated burglary, claimed he accidentally stabbed the victim’s elbow during the fight.
He then tried to stem the copious bleeding from the victim’s wound. The victim was treated by paramedics and underwent surgery at Dandenong Hospital.
Singh was found at the scene by police. He carried a small amount of ice and cannabis, and a second knife down the back of his pants.
He told police he had planned to intimidate the victim to return his property, and stabbed the victim in an attempt to push the victim away from him.
Singh’s lawyer told the court there was a wide range of things Singh could have done after the stabbing.
The accused could have fled, knowing that police and paramedics were on their way, the lawyer said.
Singh was using up to two grams of cannabis a week, and just started taking ice prior to the stabbing, the court was told.
“He’s found (remand) custody extremely difficult. He’s much smaller than the inmates and he’s been physically assaulted on a number of occasions.”
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said it was significant that Singh rendered assistance to his victim but noted it was “unbelievably stupid and dangerous” to bring a knife in the first place.
“Many people don’t stop but go on to commit something very serious.”
Singh would have faced a “double-figures” jail term had the victim been seriously injured or killed, Mr Vandersteen said.
He noted Singh’s offending was different to when jailed by the County Court for being an after-the-fact accessory to murder in 2008.
The magistrate noted in that case Singh had been threatened with assault by his associates in the earlier case, and that drug use had also played a role.
Any repeat violent offending was likely to attract a significant jail term, he said.
Singh was sentenced to 93 days jail – which had already been served in remand.
He was also placed on a 12-month supervised corrections order with drug testing and treatment as well as judicial monitoring.
