Real estate agent Karl Howard (pictured) has been charged with attempted murder over an alleged attack on two women on Monday
A top Sydney real estate agent skipped around the house singing ‘I’m going to kill her’ before attempting to murder his love interest’s friend by slashing her with a samurai sword, a court has heard.
Extraordinary detail can be revealed of Karl Adon Howard’s horrific alleged attack on a 27-year-old woman he met on the popular dating app, Hinge, and her 29-year-old friend between 4.40am and 5.20am on Monday.
Sydney Magistrate Glenn Bartley read the police version of events onto the court record on Friday during a hearing about a non-publication order concerning the alleged victims.
According to the magistrate’s remarks, the ‘extremely traumatic’ evening began when the 29-year-old friend – who can only be referred to as ‘Victim 2’ – arrived at Howard’s Annandale property about 7.15pm on Sunday.
After drinking and chatting, Victim 2 noticed both Howard, 44, and her mate, appeared disoriented, were talking quickly and weren’t making much sense, the court heard.
‘Have you taken something?’ Victim 2 reportedly asked.
Howard ran around the property, saying ‘I want to keep drinking, I don’t want to go to sleep,’ the court heard.
Victim 2 would later learn Howard had taken four cialis pills (a brand of Viagra), snorted cocaine and wouldn’t disclose if he had consumed anything else.
Blood can be seen on the footpath directly opposite Howard’s home, where his love interest and a friend ran for help after the alleged attack
Later that night he became paranoid, thinking the two women were talking about him, the court heard.
Victim 2 attempted to calm Howard, before he allegedly announced: ‘I have to f***ing kill her’, the court heard.
‘At some stage following this, the accused began skipping around the house signing “I’m going to kill her” and gesturing at (Victim 1),’ the court heard.
Howard then allegedly pushed Victim 1 into some kitchen barstools, causing her to cry.
The court was told Howard then went and grabbed a pair of scissors from a kitchen drawer and made violent gestures – before dumping them in the kitchen sink.
Then he threw a kitchen drawer across the room, slamming it into a wall, the court heard.
Victim 2 began removing knives from a drawer to hide the potential weapons from Howard, the court heard.
‘I love you,’ Howard then allegedly told Victim 1. ‘Don’t leave me.’
He then allegedly struck her, with his elbow, to the top right of her forehead.
Victim 2 tried to calm Howard before grabbing her purse as Victim 1 cried: ‘I can’t believe what I’ve seen.’
Howard then allegedly put his hand around the throat of one of Victim 1, before attempting to kiss her with an open mouth.
He then punched her, with a closed fist, to the head – causing her to fall to the ground.
In the chaos, as Victim 2 tried to order an Uber and the friends planned to escape, Howard then went downstairs, the court heard.
He allegedly returned upstairs carrying a metre-and-a-half long samurai sword, and removed it from its sheath.
The court heard that Howard went downstairs and then came back up holding a samurai sword
He then swung the sword at his date’s friend – knocking her to the ground and slashing her deeply – while his love interest ran from the property to get help.
‘After Victim 1 had exited the property, the accused began singing to Victim 2: ‘I’m going to kill you,’ the magistrate read to the court.
Howard allegedly continued to slash her, hitting her wrist and knocking her again to the ground where she bled profusely.
The other woman managed to escape after Howard slipped, the court heard
Victim 2 still managed to flee the property, with Howard slipping over as she ran away, the court heard.
A witness let the bloodied woman into her property, hiding her and rendering assistance, the document said.
Meanwhile, shocked neighbours watched Howard run backwards and forward up the street, yelling the names of his victims, the court heard.
He was then seen examining his allegedly bloodied hands and attempted to get into his garaged BMW, before exiting the vehicle.
Emergency services arrived and began helping Victim 2 – who had suffered severe blood loss – and Victim 1, who suffered bruising.
Howard was seen running south where he allegedly hid in a skip bin about 60m from the crime scene for ‘an unknown period of time’, the court heard.
Police tape remains wrapped around a skip bin at a building site on Ferris Street – just some 50 metres from the scene of the alleged attack – where Howard’s wallet and phone were allegedly found
After allegedly leaving his bloodied phone and wallet in the bin, Howard allegedly ran along the street and attempted to hide underneath the cover of a ute, parked at an intersection in Annandale.
The assault was ‘extremely traumatic and terrifying,’ Magistrate Bartley told the court in summary, before deciding to approve a non-publication order on the identities of the women. Both women were taken to hospital.
Victim 2 suffered a fractured cheek bone, a broken arm, a 15 to 20cm cut to her right forearm, nerve damage, a cut through bone, a cut to her left wrist and bruising to the back of her head.
Victim 1 suffered bruising and swelling to her right forehead and a concussion. Howard had a dislocated elbow.
Howard’s case was mentioned at Newtown Local Court on Friday evening
Howard has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Victim 1, his love interest, and wound or cause grievous bodily harm with intent to murder Victim 2.
Howard has been remanded in custody and hasn’t applied for bail. He has been stood down by his employer, Ray White, pending the proceedings. The case returns to court in April.
The real estate agent’s lawyer John Sutton fronted court on his behalf earlier this week.
Outside court Mr Sutton told reporters his client’s situation was ‘very unfortunate’.
‘He’s got various physical injuries of his own, he’s undergone surgery and we’re just awaiting outcomes to understand what the doctors say,’ Mr Sutton said.
‘I think he’s worried about more than just losing his job. It’s a very unfortunate circumstance.’
Howard was eventually arrested on the above street and suffered an injury to his elbow
Daily Mail Australia understands Howard broke up with his long-term girlfriend – a fellow real estate agent – between 18 months and two years ago.
Neighbours on the normally quiet street described the incident as ‘shocking’.
‘I got woken up early yesterday morning and saw the flashing lights from the police car, but didn’t realise just what had happened until I saw the news,’
‘It’s a really nice, quiet, leafy street. You don’t expect something so shocking to happen here.’