The brother of a Victorian magistrate has been jailed for stabbing another man in the chest with a kitchen knife during a brazen city attack.
Sean Sonnet today pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury to the man at an East Melbourne park shortly after 9am on August 31, 2023.
Sonnet plunged the 30cm knife into the victim’s chest after the pair had an argument over cigarettes, Melbourne Magistrates Court was told.
Witnesses and the victim’s girlfriend rushed to help the man, calling Triple Zero as Sonnet ran off.
The 55-year-old, who is the brother of Magistrate Brett Sonnet, was arrested by police 30 minutes later near the Melbourne Cricket Ground where he waved a tomahawk at police.
Officers seized the weapon, along with two knives and small bags of methamphetamine and cannabis.
Prosecutor Eli Fryer described the attack as very serious and brazen, noting the size of the knife that was used.
The victim was hospitalised over the penetrating stab wound to the right side of his chest.
Sonnet’s lawyer Emma Turnbull conceded the incident was concerning and it was fortunate there were not further injuries.
She told the court Sonnet relapsed into drug use after being released from jail.
He has spent much of his adult life in custody and struggles when released due to his lack of protective factors and supports, Turnbull said.
“We’re dealing with an institutionalised man … a man who is far too comfortable in jail,” she said.
“He needs to learn how to live in the community.”
Magistrate Tony Burns jailed Sonnet for 15 months but ordered three months to be served cumulatively with another sentence already being served, leaving him with about 12 months until release.
Sonnet was convicted and fined $1500 for possessing the drugs and weapons, and resisting an emergency worker.
He did not speak as he observed today’s hearing via video link from prison.
He was in 2012 jailed for conspiracy to murder over a plan involving Melbourne gangland figure Carl Williams.
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