A person accused of stabbing his finest pal’s spouse within the chest might be launched from custody into the care of a prestigious rehabilitation facility after a court docket heard he “didn’t imply to harm her, he simply wished to scare her”.
Matthew Brian Ramsay, 46, appeared with a shaven head by way of audiovisual hyperlink in Waverley Native Court docket on Friday after being charged with inflicting a wound or grievous bodily hurt with intent to homicide.
Police allege Mr Ramsay stabbed Helen Coulston within the chest after she answered the door of her $4.5m house in Dover Heights on August 8.
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He allegedly plunged a 20cm knife into the chest of the mother-of-two in broad daylight whereas her husband and youngsters have been out of the home.
The court docket heard he mentioned “Hello Helen, I’m actually sorry” earlier than he precipitated the 4cm puncture wound very near her coronary heart.
He swung the knife at her once more however missed stabbing her a second time, the court docket was instructed. Ms Coulston managed to open the entrance door a fierce wrestle ensued.
Ms Coulston’s harrowing screams alerted a close-by tradie to the ordeal on Monday afternoon, and he rushed over to assist. The tradie instructed NCA NewsWire he was in a position to distract Ms Coulston’s attacker so she might wrestle the knife away from him and throw it onto the grass.
Ms Coulston was allegedly lined in blood and had her arm in a sling when she was wheeled out in an ambulance.
Mr Ramsay was arrested a short while later on the visitors lights on Campbell Parade in Bondi Seashore. Footage from the arrest seems to point out an officer pointing a gun on the 46-year-old whereas yelling at him to “get down on the bottom”.
Mr Ramsay instructed police he hadn’t meant to wound Ms Coulston.
“I didn’t imply to harm her, I simply wished to scare her,” the court docket heard he mentioned.
The court docket heard the father-of-one has been fighting “important psychological well being points” for years, with quite a few previous stays in rehabilitation.
Defence lawyer Ben Clark mentioned his consumer was not the primary particular person to wrestle with habit to return earlier than the court docket after taking unsuccessful steps in the direction of rehabilitation.
“Definitely alcohol has been an infinite subject all through his life,” he mentioned.
The court docket heard Mr Ramsay had taken 120mg of Valium earlier than approaching Ms Coulston.
Mr Clark instructed the court docket it will be finest for Mr Ramsay to be launched on bail to a “significantly vigorous” rehabilitation facility in Port Stephens.
“I’m asking for him to return out of custody and successfully return straight into custody,” he mentioned.
The court docket heard the previous actual property agent can be beneath “home arrest” on the International Join rehabilitation facility and wouldn’t be permitted to go away. He would additionally not be allowed to speak with the skin world and can be topic to random drug and alcohol checks recurrently.
“In some methods it’s in all probability extra onerous than jail,” Mr Clark mentioned.
The police prosecutor opposed bail, arguing that Mr Ramsay posed a major threat to Ms Coulston and might have the ability to escape the rehabilitation centre.
The court docket heard Mr Ramsay was just lately unemployed and had numerous excellent funds on the time of the alleged stabbing.
Justice of the Peace Ross Hudson mentioned there was no animosity between the 46-year-old and Ms Coulston that might have led to the alleged altercation.
“There seems to be some absurdity as to his actions. There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or motive as to what he did that day,” he mentioned.
The Justice of the Peace famous Mr Ramsay had been medicating himself with alcohol for despair, and known as his alleged behaviour was “completely unpredictable”.
He decided that therapy would finest additional the case and granted Mr Ramsay strict conditional bail.
The previous actual property agent might be collected from jail on Monday and brought to the residential rehab centre in Swan Bay.
He’ll stay on the facility for at the least six months. He’s prone to work together with one other well-known inhabitant, former TV character Andrew O’Keefe, who has resided on the rehab for months.
Mr Ramsay is forbidden to contact the Coulstons or to enter the jap suburbs of Sydney.
Mr Coulston and Mr Ramsay had been buddies since faculty and have been each outstanding in actual property, the place Mr Ramsay was concerned in billions of {dollars} value of property offers earlier than parting methods along with his employer.
Mr Ramsay was the very best man on the Coulstons’ marriage ceremony and is the godfather to one among their youngsters.
He’ll return to Waverley Native Court docket on October 19.
If discovered responsible, the court docket heard Mr Ramsay may very well be sentenced to as much as 25 years imprisonment.
Sydney
Adelaide Lang is a digital reporter for The Bowral Information. Primarily based within the Southern Highlands, she covers common native information with a give attention to council, courts, and crime.
