By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Sydney man allegedly tracked down his estranged wife who was wounded after he produced a knife outside her Springvale home late at night, a court has heard.
The 23-year-old accounting student, assisted by a Punjabi interpreter, denied he was intending to harm his wounded wife, a bail hearing at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 27 February heard.
The Parramatta man had told police that he’d intended to self-harm with the knife in front of his wife if she didn’t agree to resume their relationship.
In refusing bail, magistrate Jack Vandersteen said the situation raised “significant cultural issues” behind the man’s arranged marriage.
He questioned what the accused was doing in the street with a kitchen knife after “surreptitiously” following his wife to the address.
“This is an arranged marriage and he says she betrayed him,” Mr Vandersteen said.
“There’s some significant cultural issues sitting behind this.
“Why didn’t he (self-harm) in Parramatta? He’s gone to a lot of effort (to find her).”
Police informant Senior Constable Gordon Exeter of Dandenong police told the court the man had allegedly tracked his wife down partly through her email account after she moved out of their Sydney home three months ago.
The man allegedly told police his wife had “betrayed” him by walking out, that he’d “spent a lot of money on her”, Sen Const Exeter said.
After finding out her address, the man allegedly grabbed her arm aggressively and tried to drag her away as she walked out onto the street about 11.45pm on 25 January.
“Come away or I’ll kill you,” the man allegedly said.
During a struggle, the man allegedly pulled a kitchen knife and lunged at her stomach, the victim told police.
During the incident, the victim grabbed the blade and received “defensive wounds” to her hand, Sen Const Exeter said.
Her forearm was also deeply lacerated.
She escaped into her home and contacted police.
His lawyer Emanuele Nicolosi said the accused denied the complainant’s claims that he grabbed her from behind, threatened to kill her, lunged at her stomach with the knife or stabbed her.
The accused, with no prior criminal history, had moved to Melbourne to live with his only family support in Australia – an older relative in Deer Park.
Sen Const Exeter said the Deer Park relative couldn’t guarantee that he could supervise and keep track of the accused.
Mr Vandersteen said the risk to the victim was too high to release the man despite him spending the past 33 days in custody.
“You’re a long time dead if somebody kills you,” he said.
The accused’s bail was refused and he agreed to a five-year full intervention order.
He faces likely deportation if convicted.
The man was remanded to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 7 March.
