A serial criminal brutally wounded a man he had arranged to sell drugs to at a Hervey Bay shopping centre after it turned out the man did not have enough money.
Alexander Kenneth McIntyre, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of wounding, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing drug utensils and failing to dispose of a syringe when he faced Maryborough District Court on Monday.
The court heard on February 17, 2023, McIntyre had met another man at Eli Waters Shopping Centre in regard to a drug deal.
The man had brought $100, which was not enough, the court heard, and when he tried to withdraw money at an ATM, the card declined.
McIntyre then stabbed the man under his left armpit, severing an artery, the court was told.
The man was left bleeding profusely and had to undergo surgery.
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Crown prosecutor Farook Anoozer said McIntyre had a 12-page criminal history and had been before the courts on 31 previous occasions.
He said the two men had been known to each other and the stabbing was the results of a “drug deal that went wrong”.
McIntyre had been arrested at a home in Torquay where he was living with his father 10 days after the stabbing, Mr Anoozer said, describing the incident as “brazen and unprovoked”.
He said it was fortunate the victim had received immediate medical assistance.
The court heard McIntyre had plans to find employment when he was released from custody.
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He had one child, a 12-year-old daughter.
McIntyre had written a letter of apology to the victim, which was described as being genuine and sincere.
Judge Ian Dearden said it was extraordinarily lucky the incident happened at a shopping centre where medical attention was readily available and the victim was able to survive.
“You could have killed him,” he said.
Mr Dearden said McIntyre had a shocking criminal history that was related to his meth addiction.
He urged McIntyre to focus on his relationship with his daughter.
“I doesn’t really matter what I say, it’s what you do,” he said.
McIntyre was sentenced to 17 months in prison, with the time he had spent in pre-sentence custody taken into account.
He was given immediate parole eligibility.