By Rebecca Brice
Posted
A South Australian woman who a judge said could have killed her neighbour by repeatedly stabbing him through a screen door will serve a 15-month non-parole period on home detention.
Violet Bona Simeki punctured the lung of a man known as Mr Baltaji in March 2016, during a dispute about a heavy wooden door in their unit complex being jammed open.
She was found guilty of causing serious harm — an offence which carries a maximum 25-year jail term — but was given a head sentence of four years in jail, reduced to two years and six months for time already spent in custody and on home detention.
District Court Judge Paul Slattery said he was “satisfied” that sentencing her to a 15-month non-parole period to be served on home detention would “not affect public confidence in the administration of justice”.
Dispute over doors sparked stabbing
Simeki and her victim lived a floor apart on a four-level Housing Trust complex on Sturt Street in Adelaide, where Mr Baltaji had noticed junk mail jammed under the door to keep it open.
“Mr Baltaji believed that these heavy wooden doors constituted fire doors and therefore needed to remain closed,” Judge Slattery said.
“After checking his mail he ascended and closed that stairwell door.”
The judge said Mr Baltaji went back 45 minutes later and closed other doors which had also been jammed open and that Simeki then came out of her unit and yelled threats that she would “‘get him” for closing the doors.
The court heard that about 10 minutes later Simeki went to Mr Baltaji’s screen door armed with two knives and, as he checked to see if the door was locked, he realised he had been stabbed in the chest.
Judge Slattery said Simeki “continued to stab him through the screen door” at which point Mr Baltaji retreated and grabbed a wooden chair leg to defend himself.
“He unlocked the screen door, opened it, and tried to hit you with the piece of timber but you struck him again with the knife, stabbing him between his right ring finger and middle finger,” Judge Slattery said.
“You also stabbed him on the right arm just below his elbow.”
The attack ended when Mr Baltaji managed to hit Simeki with the chair leg.
Judge Slattery said it was clear Simeki intended to seriously harm her neighbour.
“By attacking Mr Baltaji in his own home and stabbing him multiple times through the screen door, you put his life in serious danger,” Judge Slattery said.
“He describes having an ongoing fear of leaving his home and he can no longer trust other people.
Your offending has caused him and his family embarrassment and grief, as well as considerable ongoing distress and fear.
“Mr Baltaji experiences nightmares about the attack and has flashbacks often. He also has concerns about the long-term damage that the stabbing could have had on his body. Your actions have traumatised him.
“You must understand that acts of this nature cannot and will not be tolerated by the community.
However, taking into account your personal circumstances, it is evident to me that you are unlikely to reoffend.”
Judge Slattery also said that home detention was suitable when taking into account the 52-year-old’s age, lack of prior offending, and a report which recommended it.
“You have since moved apartment and no longer live in the same building as him. I am also satisfied that you have no intention of contacting him,” he said.
Personality and mental health issues
A psychiatrist found Simeki could have a personality disorder.
“Throughout your life you have had sporadic involvement with mental health services,” Judge Slattery said.
“Notably, you have had an involvement with mental health services on a number of occasions in relation to disputes with neighbours.”
But he said Simeki usually sought help when issues arose.
“Your offending in this matter is a clear aberration from your normal course of action,” he said.
Topics: assault, crime, law-crime-and-justice, adelaide-5000, sa, australia
