escalating violence in our community Become a member of the Sensible Sentencing Trust

Mouseover links for full page descriptions

Offender Databases Andrew Barnfather-Thomas

Andrew Robert Barnfather-Thomas

Alias

.

Offences

Stabbed his stepfather with intent to do grievous bodily harm in Hamilton in September 2009

Victims

.

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1989

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to 3 years 7 months in September 2010

Background
From the Waikato Times 18th September 2010
A young Hamilton man who stabbed his stepfather in the chest during a domestic row later said he wished he'd "done a better job". The blade of Andrew Barnfather-Thomas' pocket-knife passed through his victim's ribs and came close to the "tip" of the man's heart. In the High Court in Hamilton on Thursday, Barnfather-Thomas, 21, was jailed for three years and seven months after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was discharged on a count of attempted murder after the Crown offered no evidence. The stabbing came after a night of drinking at the pair's family home in Heath St, Hamilton, on September 12, 2009. During an argument both men threatened each other before exchanging headbutts. During the tussle, Barnfather-Thomas pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed his stepfather in the chest. In an effort to escape, the victim fled the home but was pursued by Barnfather-Thomas along several streets.

The wounded man eventually collapsed outside a shop front. Speaking to police afterwards, Barnfather-Thomas admitted the stabbing, saying he wished he had "done a better job of it". His stepfather was hospitalised for five days but made a full recovery. Justice Heath said Barnfather-Thomas' use of the knife had markedly escalated the confrontation. It had been "pure luck" the stabbing was not fatal. The judge acknowledged the victim's views which expressed that Barnfather-Thomas not be jailed.

However, Justice Heath said Barnfather-Thomas' sentence must protect the community from people who behaved in such a manner. Crown prosecutor Louella Dunn said the stabbing was a family tragedy fuelled by alcohol. Defence counsel Roger Laybourn said Barnfather-Thomas accepted the stabbing was in disproportion to his stepfather's action. But the stabbing was "totally out of character" for the young man who came to court as a first-time offender. Mr Laybourn said the victim had plied his stepson with vast quantities of alcohol and created a "foolish situation" in which Barnfather-Thomas was provoked and exploded.

---

Corrections and Additional Information
We endeavour to make this database as accurate as possible, but we are at the mercy of whatever information we can find in various online and offline archives. We rely on the public - that is, people like you - to fill in the gaps that we cannot. If you wish to submit additional information or a correction to this file CLICK HERE . Privacy: Trust policy is that all sources are treated as strictly confidential unless we are explicitly told otherwise. If you wish to see a file removed from this database certain conditions must be met by the offender set out HERE Note that this does NOT apply for those that are the primary offender in a murder, rape, or any sexual offending involving minors. We do not enter into correspondence regarding the guilt/innocence of offenders. Such correspondence is not responded to, especially if the offender concerned has a number of prior convictions

Back to Top