A homeless Melbourne man who nearly killed two men in separate ‘spontaneous’ stabbing attacks has been jailed for 14 years.
John Samuel Thackray, 33, was suffering a mental illness and was taking ice at the time of the attacks and was described as a ‘very real danger to the community’ in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday.
Thackray had pleaded guilty to the two attacks, including one on a man who needed life-saving surgery after he was stabbed eight times at his South Yarra home, including to his heart, in March 2016.
John Samuel Thackray (pictured above), 33, has been jailed for four years after nearly killing two men in separate ‘spontaneous’ stabbing attacks in 2016
He admitted to intentionally causing serious injury to both John Anderson and Shaun Foo at their respective properties.
The violent attacks occurred about four months from each other, with Mr Anderson attacked early one morning in March after he found Thackray asleep on his back porch and told him: ‘Time to go, buddy.’
He received stab wounds to his chest, back and wrists, and has permanently lost strength in one of his hands.
‘The scars serve as a constant reminder of the terrible events of that morning,’ he said in a victim impact statement.
John Anderson (pictured above, left) was attacked early one morning in March after he found Thackray asleep on his back porch and told him: ‘Time to go, buddy’
He received stab wounds to his chest, back and wrists, and has permanently lost strength in one of his hands. He said scars served as a ‘constant reminder’ of the horrendous event
Mr Foo was attacked outside his home in July following a confrontation where it was accused he thought Thackray was stealing his car.
He was attacked with a knife to the face and head, and an artery in his leg was slashed, leaving him in hospital in an induced coma.
The victims would have died if it weren’t for emergency surgery, with both men left permanently scarred.
‘Both suffered injuries that would’ve caused death in the absence of very prompt medical care,’ prosecutor Andrew Tinney told a pre-sentence hearing last week.
Shaun Foo (left) was stabbed in the face, head and leg outside his home in July following a confrontation where it was accused he thought Thackray was stealing his car