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Murray Allen
.
Aggravated robbery and wounding a Christchurch man with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in 2004-05
A lengthy list of previous convictions, including nine for violence and 27 for dishonesty
.
.
none known
Born 1964
Prison
Sentenced to just 6 years with a 3 year minimum period in May 2005
Eligible for release on parole May 2008
Sentence End Date May 2011
Background
From the Press (Christchurch) 06/05/2005
A cancer victim and epileptic was subjected to a brutal knife attack during which his morphine medication was stolen. In the Christchurch District Court, Judge Gary MacAskill told Murray James Allen the savagery of the frenzied attack warranted a three-year non-parole prison term. "You must be held accountable for the serious harm, the offending must be denounced and deterred, and the community must be protected," he said. Allen, 41, was jailed for six years after he admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and aggravated robbery. The complainant, a cancer victim, had his prescription morphine sulphate tablets forcibly taken by Allen after he was repeatedly slashed with a sharp tool.
Prosecutor Tom Gilbert said Allen had known the victim about three years, and the victim's former wife got involved in a relationship with Allen. Allen drove to the man's Christchurch address and, taking a tool with a short triangular blade, got into an argument, then punched him down and repeatedly slashed him with the knife, saying "you're going to die ..." As well as multiple cuts to the head and body, the victim received wounds to his arm before grabbing a knife himself and stabbing Allen in the leg. He attempted to get help, but was hit with a stick by Allen, who demanded his morphine medication. Leaving a heavy trail of blood, the victim crossed the road to get help from a neighbour, when he was again struck by Allen, who then drove off. Gilbert called for a starting point of eight to 10 years prison, with a minimum term of half the sentence.
The judge said photographs graphically revealed the extent of injuries. Many of the the multiple cuts, including a large one to the abdomen, had to be stitched. The victim suffered huge blood loss and was lucky to get prompt help. He had needed exploratory surgery to determine the extent of injuries. The victim said the wounds had been very painful, causing worse pain than he suffered as a cancer victim. He also believed his epilepsy had worsened after the attack, he suffered emotional harm and his mobility was affected, the judge said. Allen had an extensive criminal history, which included nine convictions for violence and 27 for dishonesty, with a background of drug and alcohol abuse. The probation service had noted he was unlikely to be substance-free, and questioned his motivation to change. An aggravating feature of the case was that Allen entered the victim's house unlawfully in the dark, the judge said.
