December 12, 2018
A 30-year-old Blackbutt man charged with unlawful wounding after a stabbing incident in Blackbutt on Tuesday afternoon has been granted bail.
Jason Yarrow appeared in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon.
He has been in custody since soon after the incident.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Pepe Gangemi said there was not much dispute about what happened and police had taken statements from witnesses.
Police did not oppose bail but Yarrow had to “show cause” why he should be released as a knife had been used.
The court was told the complainant had been wounded in the leg, abdomen and torso and “there were blood trails”.
Solicitor Mark Werner, for Yarrow, said his client was not the aggressor.
Yarrow lived across the road and two houses down from the complainant.
He said Yarrow had been on a disability pension for the past six or seven years, had Aspergers, and suffered from depression, anxiety and panic attacks.
Mr Werner said the incident was the result of a “very big misunderstanding” and not likely to be repeated.
He said the complainant had approached Yarrow and threatened him about some bullying but had got the wrong person.
“The complainant has continued to go on and on and on with it, and then jumped the fence into Mr Yarrow’s property,” Mr Werner said.
Mr Werner said it would be unjust to hold Yarrow in custody until the matter was heard when an outcome of imprisonment was uncertain.
Magistrate Louisa Pink said she accepted there were unusual circumstances and because of the delays in a case of this nature it would be unjust for Yarrow to be held in custody.
She said a sentence of imprisonment was not inevitable.
Magistrate Pink said she was satisfied that the risks of Yarrow committing any further offences in respect of this complainant could be addressed by the implementation of strict conditions.
Yarrow must not contact or approach, or have someone else contact or approach, within 10m of the complainant.
“If you find yourself at the supermarket and he’s there, you’re the one who turns around and walks away,” Magistrate Pink warned Yarrow.
The matter was adjourned to Kingaroy Magistrates Court on January 21.
