A MAN who attacked his neighbour with a large kitchen knife at Hawks Nest, cornering him in his garage and stabbing him four times before getting the blade stuck in the man's forearm told police he was "hearing voices" and "seeing pictures" in the moments before he "went crazy with the knife".
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Corey Cox, 31, was last week jailed in Newcastle District Court for a maximum of four years after he pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Cox, who has a history of mental illness, including schizophrenia and psychosis, had initially pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness and was expected to face a three-day trial focusing almost solely on his mental state on October 5, 2019, when he brutally stabbed and slashed his 37-year-old neighbour.
But he pleaded guilty a few days before trial and was jailed for a maximum of four years, with a non-parole period of two years, meaning he will be eligible for parole in October.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Cox was at home at Hawks Nest on October 5, 2019, when he started to "hear voices" and "see pictures" appear in front of his face.
After drinking some 10 cups of wine, Cox became agitated and began yelling "f--- off" to no one.
He grabbed a long-bladed kitchen knife and went outside where he started yelling: "I'm gunna kill some c---".
He appeared to see people who were not there, according to the statement of facts.
He eventually calmed down but when his neighbours asked him if he was all right and why he needed a knife he became agitated again.
"I'll show you what I need the knife for," Cox said. "I will kill you c---s."
He backed the couple into their garage and began slashing and stabbing at the man, striking him four times in the left arm and leg and getting the knife blade stuck in his forearm.
When the blade became lodged in his arm, the victim managed to stand up and punch Cox to the head, stunning him.
The victim later told police Cox's eyes were wide open and fixed on him during the attack, but it was as if Cox was looking "straight through" him.
Cox eventually left the garage and the pair ran back into the house and called triple-zero. Meanwhile, Cox walked down the driveway, sat under a tree and smoke a cigarette.
"Mum, the cops can come and get me now," he told his mother, who witnessed the attack and repeatedly yelled at him to stop. Police found Cox sitting alone by the side of the road. He had stabbed the knife into a tree.
He was calm and cooperative with police and appeared to show some insight into his mental health issues.
"I'm thinking I'll be safe in the hospital on medication or something aye cause I keep waking up and I try to have a good day and voices and pictures come up in front of my face," Cox told police.
"What made me calm down is that they were calling the police and I thought the police will help me. "Because I don't want to hurt people. I just wanna stay in hospital or something." Later, during an interview with police, Cox elaborated on what he said he was seeing and hearing.
"I couldn't win against the voices... so I went crazy with the knife and I attacked the neighbours next door," he said. The victim suffered three deep lacerations and a puncture wound and required surgery.
I couldn't win against the voices... so I went crazy with the knife and I attacked the neighbours next door.
- Corey Cox told police after he had attacked his neighbours with a knife at Hawks Nest in October, 2019.
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