The 18-year-old cannot be named because he was 17 when he committed the malicious act with intent at a residence on the morning of January 22.
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The Gympie District Court heard this week the teen and the 35-year-old victim at the time were living at the defendant’s grandmother’s house for weeks before the stabbing.
They “got along ok”, the court heard, but things went pear-shaped when the victim woke the teen at about 8.10am as he slept on a lounge near the front door.
The victim “knocked a couple of times” and asked the offender to shift lounge because he was blocking the way out, but he instead jumped up with a “strange look” and said “f*** this” and “I’ve had it” on his way to the kitchen, the court heard.
The victim lifted the couch so he could open the door but turned around to see the offender walking toward him with a 20cm bread knife in his left hand, saying “I’m sick of this s***” and “you’re f*****”.
The teen said “I’m going to put this into you” as he moved towards the victim, who managed to block his knife-wielding hand.
But the teen stabbed him with a paring knife he held in his right hand, opening a 3cm wound in his chest cavity which required an eight-day stay in the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
If left untreated the injury would have been life-threatening through blood loss or respiratory failure, the court heard.
The teen had been on conditional bail program for previous offences relating to possession of knife in public place namely a school, possession of dangerous drugs and utensils and failing to appear in court when the stabbing occurred.
He had also been previously dealt with for “a number” of contravention of domestic violence orders.
Judge Gary Long took some time to deliver a balanced sentence against the teen, who pleaded guilty to the malicious act with intent, as well as six instances of supplying dangerous drug to a minor and one count of possession of a mobile phone used in connection with the crime on a separate indictment.
Judge Long noted the community needed to be protected from any further offending by the teen but highlighted the court’s need to aid his rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The teen had made significant process over his 316 days spent in pre-sentence detention, the court heard.
For the malicious act with intent charge the teen was sentenced to two- and half-year detention order suspended immediately with a three-month conditional release order.
He was given three years’ probation and concurrent two-year probation orders for his other offences.
“You should understand that you have been given a very significant opportunity. It will very quickly unravel if you don’t take advantage of it,” Judge Long told him.
