A Western Australian court has delivered justice for a terrifying attack that left an Albany man with life-threatening injuries after his neck was slashed while he slept.
Kieran Michael Stead, 31, faced the Supreme Court of WA this week for his brutal assault on a sleeping 47-year-old man in April 2023. The court heard chilling details of how Stead entered the victim's Albany home and sliced his neck with such force that the cut went down to the bone.
The Night of Terror
The attack occurred in the early hours of the morning when the victim was most vulnerable - fast asleep in his own bed. Stead, who was known to the victim, entered the property and launched the unprovoked assault without warning.
"The victim woke to the sensation of being attacked and fought for his life," prosecutors told the court. "He managed to push Stead away and escape the house, not immediately realizing the severity of his injury."
Life-Threatening Injuries
Emergency services rushed to the scene to find the victim with a catastrophic neck wound. Medical experts confirmed the slash was so deep it exposed bone, narrowly missing major arteries that could have caused fatal bleeding.
"This was an attack that could easily have resulted in murder charges," the judge noted during sentencing. The victim required extensive medical treatment and continues to suffer both physical and psychological trauma from the incident.
Justice Served
Stead pleaded guilty to unlawfully doing grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. He will be eligible for parole after serving three years and two months of his sentence.
The court considered Stead's early plea and expressions of remorse, but emphasized the extreme violence and vulnerability of the victim as aggravating factors in the sentencing decision.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of violent crime in regional Western Australian communities, with Albany residents breathing a sigh of relief that the perpetrator has been removed from the community.
