Landlord jailed for knife attack on tenant Tuesday, 27 July 2010
A Brisbane man has been sentenced to five years in jail for stabbing his tenant in the stomach over a rent dispute.
Steven Terry Donegan, aged 54, attacked Malina Passmore, aged 25, with a 30cm serrated knife at his home at Clontarf in Brisbane's northeast on 2 October last year.
Prosecutor Petrina Clohessy told the Brisbane District Court that the pair had been drinking earlier in the night and were getting along well until Mr Donegan became agitated over $40 in missing rent.
The court was told Mr Donegan turned violent, threatening Ms Passmore with the knife before stabbing her.
Ms Passmore was taken to hospital where she underwent surgery.
Mr Donegan initially denied the attack, reporting to police that her boyfriend had inflicted the injury. Police later found the weapon stashed in the ceiling cavity of his home.
