A pensioner who was stabbed in the face and nearly killed by her crazed neighbour claims he attacked her because of the car she drove – and revealed she is still living in fear for her life in the unit where she suffered the horrifying ordeal.
Denise Pederson, 65, was attacked by her 64-year-old neighbour William Sampson in her Belmont unit on the Pacific Highway, north of Newcastle after a long-running dispute.
He tried to stab her in the heart, shouting ‘you’re going to f**king die’, but Mrs Pederson refused to succumb to her attacker and miraculously fought back and survived.
Denise Pederson, 65, was attacked by her 64-year-old neighbour William Sampson in her Belmont unit on the Pacific Highway, north of Newcastle after a long-running dispute
He tried to stab her in the heart, shouting ‘you’re going to f**king die’
Mrs Pederson refused to succumb to her attacker and miraculously fought back and survived
She told Daily Mail Australia she had suffered more than a year of harassment from Sampson which stemmed from the car she drove, a 23-year-old BMW, and revealed she still fears for her life living in the same unit in which she was attacked.
‘Bill Sampson told me he was very offended because I drove a BMW, but I said ‘it’s 23 years old’,’ she said.
‘He threatened to cut my throat, he scratched and keyed my car, threatened to throw a petrol bomb at my house.’
On September 16, 2016, Sampson finally acted after 18 months of hurling abuse at Mrs Pederson.
Under the pretence of making peace, Sampson entered Mrs Pederson’s unit and pulled out a knife, stabbing her in the face.
‘He walked in, grabbed my hair, thrust the knife into my cheek. I could hear it hit my jawbone and feel my cheek open up.
She told Daily Mail Australia she had suffered more than a year of harassment from Sampson which stemmed from the car she drove, a 23-year-old BMW
On September 16, 2016, Sampson finally acted after 18 months of hurling abuse at Mrs Pederson
It wasn’t until another resident of the housing complex saw Mrs Pederson struggling for her life and rushed over that the attack ended
‘He said ‘I’m going to stab you in the f**king heart’. I’m holding the knife and I could feel the knife going into my hand.
‘There was blood splattered up the walls and everywhere.’
It wasn’t until another resident of the housing complex saw Mrs Pederson struggling for her life and rushed over that the attack ended.
‘She came to the door and saw he was ready to put the knife into my back.
Sampson was sentenced to a maximum term of 11 years and three months in prison by Judge Roy Ellis at the Newcastle District Court on Thursday, with a non-parole period of eight years
She said she was glad the ‘mongrel’ was in prison for what he had done to her
‘There was blood splattered up the walls and everywhere,’ Mrs Pederson said
‘She stood at the door any yelled ‘Bill, put the knife down’.’
Sampson was sentenced to a maximum term of 11 years and three months in prison by Judge Roy Ellis at the Newcastle District Court on Thursday, with a non-parole period of eight years.
She said she was glad the ‘mongrel’ was in prison for what he had done to her.
After going through the ‘horrific’ ordeal of being attacked and undergoing numerous surgeries and hundreds of stitches, on Saturday morning she found messages posted at the entrance to the housing estate she lives on insulting her and falsely calling her a liar.
‘I’m feeling absolutely horrible, after what I’ve gone through and to have to look at that.’
On Saturday morning she found messages posted at the entrance to the housing estate she lives on insulting her and falsely calling her a liar
The messages called her a ‘psychopathic liar’, a ‘fat lying s**t’, and an ‘ungrateful lying s**t c**ted fat slobby mole face worthless piece of s**t’
The messages called her a ‘psychopathic liar’, a ‘fat lying s**t’, and an ‘ungrateful lying s**t c**ted fat slobby mole face worthless piece of s**t’.
Mrs Pederson said she still lives in fear for her life in the unit, but can’t afford to move anywhere else.
She also still endures ongoing intense pain as a result of the attack.
‘I can’t eat food unless I hold a napkin up to my face, and I have to drink through a straw. If I have a bite of food, the pain is excruciating.
‘I am very lucky to be here. I’m just a bloody mess, it’s terrible.’
She still endures ongoing intense pain as a result of the attack
Mrs Pederson said she still lives in fear for her life in the unit, but can’t afford to move anywhere else
Mrs Pederson, pictured left with a friend, says she is very lucky to be alive after the attack