paramedic’s words to killer – Australia Associated Press

The man who stabbed paramedic Steven Tougher to death outside McDonald’s was in a trance and may have been experiencing a psychotic episode, a court heard.

Mr Tougher was stabbed 55 times during a break during his shift in Campbelltown, south-west Sydney, in the early hours of April 14, 2023.

Jordan James Fineanganofo, 23, admitted stabbing the 29-year-old to death but pleaded not guilty to murder due to mental health, at the start of a trial expected to last six weeks in the NSW Supreme Court. Monday.

The court was told prosecutors agreed to approve a mental health order if Fineanganofo signed a statement of facts admitting the physical elements of the crime captured on CCTV.

Rather than continuing the hearing, Judge David Davies adjourned the court until Friday to consider whether a mental health defense had been made.

There were screams of pain from family members as the court was told details such as Fineanganofo not saying a word as he approached and began stabbing Mr Tougher in a grisly attack that lasted nearly four minutes.

Fineanganofo bowed his head and covered his face as details of the murder were read to the court.

Crown prosecutor Ken McKay SC said Mr Tougher was unable to escape because he was pinned between the back of the ambulance and his attacker.

Mr Tougher tried but failed to push Fineanganofo away and said: “What are you doing? Stop stabbing me, mate.”

Despite the efforts of several people to help, Fineanganofo continued to stab Mr Tougher and walked away several times before returning to inflict more wounds as the NSW Ambulance worker lay on the ground.

“Tell me you’re sorry,” Fineanganofo told Mr Tougher at one stage.

“I’m sorry, mate, whatever you think I’m doing,” replied Mr. Tougher, who was seriously injured but conscious.

Bystander James Arthur ran to help, kicking Fineanganofo and yelling at him to stop.

“You’re going to kill him,” Mr Arthur said, the court was told.

Responding to another bystander’s calls, Fineanganofo reportedly said either “I’m going to go to jail anyway, so I better kill him” or “I have to kill him because I have to go to jail.”

Fineanganofo also pleaded not guilty on mental health grounds to a number of related charges relating to alleged incidents in nearby suburbs in the days before Mr Tougher’s murder.

These incidents included frightening a woman pushing a stroller with a five-month-old child, threatening several men at a service station, and swinging a knife at a man during a roadside incident, puncturing his jacket but not his skin.

Fineanganofo’s lawyer, AJ Karim, said the defense’s position was largely the same as the prosecution’s, including that the physical acts of the crimes were committed.

The prosecution and defense met with psychiatrists who agreed that it was possible for Fineanganofo to claim that he knew what he was doing but did not know it was wrong.

Kerri Eagle, a forensic psychiatrist appointed by the prosecution, determined that Fineanganofo had a mental health disorder at the time of the crime and exhibited signs and symptoms of a psychotic illness consistent with a relapse of schizophrenia.

Dr Eagle took into account witness statements describing Fineanganofo appearing to be “in a trance, calm, mumbling, grinning and strange”, the court heard.

Mr McKay said Fineanganofo had previously been charged with assaulting a neighbor in 2021 but instead of going to trial he involuntarily entered treatment for mental health issues.

Hospital records stated at the time that Fineanganofo had been isolated in his family’s home for a year, interacting little with others and becoming increasingly paranoid of people, including his family.

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