A nurse who tried to force her way into a man’s home armed with a knife chillingly told police they were “lucky it wasn’t murder” after threatening to kill the man over an alleged rape, a court heard .
Kristy Lee Edwards received support from her family in brisbane District Court on Tuesday when he learned his fate in the violent attack in Varsity Lakes, in the Gold Coast in early 2021.
The 44-year-old woman’s actions were called “out of line” by District Court Judge John Allen, something that can only be explained by her belief that the man had raped someone she knew and her “frustration.” for the police investigation.
Added to this was the excessive consumption of alcohol on the day of the crime.
“That explains his crime, but it does not excuse it,” Judge Allen noted.
Edwards eventually left court with a suspended sentence, having spent three and a half months in pre-sentence custody as declared.
She was initially charged with attempted murder following the crime, but the Crown discontinued the charge.
Edwards instead pleaded guilty to charges of attempted robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and threatening violence during the night at a pre-sentence date.
Kristy Lee Edwards (pictured) threatened to kill the man after a woman she knew alleged he had raped her.
The court was told the 29-year-old male victim and a person known to Edwards had been involved in a sexual relationship at the time of the offence.
The person known to Edwards alleged she had been raped by the 29-year-old man, but did not reveal anything to police when they investigated.
On the night of March 7, 2021, Edwards discovered the 29-year-old’s address in Varsity Lakes and drove there at 11 p.m., armed with a kitchen knife.
Crown prosecutor Mel Wilson said Edwards began “screaming and banging” on the closed screen door and side glass panel.
He stabbed the man with the kitchen knife through the screen door.
Edwards continued yelling ‘I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill this son of a bitch, you little rapist’ and claiming he had raped the person she knew, Wilson said. .
The court was told Edwards kicked the glass panel, injuring the man’s 66-year-old father when it shattered.
After police arrived, Edwards continued to “rant” about the alleged rape and threatened to kill the man.
During the arrest, he told police, “You’re lucky this isn’t a murder.”
“He has engaged in serious behavior over a relatively long period, alarming and threatening (to the family),” Ms Wilson said.
Edwards (pictured) was given a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to charges of attempted robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and threatening violence during the night.
“It certainly would have been a terrifying experience for them.”
Lawyer Tim Ryan, representing Edwards, said the “unusual” circumstances of the crime meant his client found out about the alleged rape from a friend.
Police had seen Edwards’ acquaintance twice before, asking him about the alleged rape.
“(This person) wasn’t willing to reveal much information about it and as a result, the police couldn’t do anything about it,” Ryan said.
No charges have been filed in the alleged incident.
The court was told the police investigation and the same person’s mental health issues had created an “enormous amount of frustration” for Edwards, who had been drinking heavily on the day he went to the house.
Ryan said his client otherwise had an impressive work history as a registered nurse and working in aged care.
Edwards (pictured) drove to the man’s home armed with a kitchen knife after discovering where he lived.
He said Edwards had paid a “heavy price” for the crime as he was unable to see his family while living in New South Wales on bail.
Edwards not only lost his job but also his rental property, and would face difficulty renewing his nursing registration, Ryan said.
But Judge Allen told Edwards not to give up hope of re-registering.
“The authorities take into account all the circumstances of the matter,” he said.
“It doesn’t seem to me that it would be of much use to deny him that registration, if he were otherwise eligible.”
Edwards received a main sentence of 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.