Michael Leiter was left with deep wounds just millimetres from his spine and almost lost his fingers after being attacked by axe-wielding Jason Rees (pictured)
This is the horrific moment a man launched an axe at another man in an attack that almost severed his hand.
Michael Leiter was left with deep wounds just millimetres from his spine and almost lost his fingers after being set upon by Jason Rees.
The 49-year-old collapsed on the pavement shortly after the stomach-churning incident which occurred after an argument in Wollongong, south of Sydney.
The grisly CCTV footage showed the men exchanging heated gestures before Rees hit the victim with the weapon, almost chopping off three of his fingers.
The grisly CCTV footage (left) showed the men exchanging heated gestures before Rees hit his victim with the weapon (right), almost chopping off three of his fingers
The injured man attempted to flee Rees but the attacker chased him down, launching the axe into his back several times.
‘My fingers were hanging down. There was one nearly severed right through … this finger just kept falling over. It just bent straight back,’ Mr Leiter told Wollongong District Court on Tuesday, according to the Illawarra Mercury.
Hours before the brutal attack in March 2017, Mr Leiter had been drinking at a friend’s unit when Rees approached the unit with a gun while ‘drug affected’ and ‘wanting blood’.
‘I thought he was going to kill everybody in the place … the look in his eyes … was like the devil himself,’ Mr Leiter, who has since been behind bars over another matter, said.
Rees, who had his attempted murder charge downgraded as a woman faced court as an accessory, was set to stand trial in the Wollongong District Court on Monday after pleading not guilty to the charge.
A man who almost severed his neighbour’s fingers in a vicious axe attack has had his attempted murder charge downgraded as a woman faces court as an accessory
Following plea negotiations, Rees instead pleaded guilty to the charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, the publication previously reported.
Tammy Kirk appeared in court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to a charge of acting as accessory after the fact to a serious indictable offence and was convicted on Wednesday and placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond.
Kirk was found not guilty of a second charge, entering a dwelling with intent to commit a serious indictable offence.
Rees is expected to face court on July 24 when a date is predicted to be fixed for sentencing.
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