An 83-year-old Zeehan man who attacked his two housemates with an ax after being told they wanted to leave has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison.
Key points:
- The court learned that Burke was living with an 80-year-old and a 65-year-old person.
- The three had been friends for more than a decade and shared a love of ships
- Tension arose when the two women decided to move to Victoria and buy a houseboat.
Richard Andrew Burke appeared before Launceston Supreme Court and admitted to assaulting his roommates while sleeping in his bedroom at 4 a.m. on June 19, 2021.
The court learned that Burke was living with Wendy Geddes, 80, and his daughter, Tracey Geddes, 65.
“You went into his room, armed with an ax, while they were both asleep, and you hit Wendy in the head,” Supreme Court Judge Robert Pearce said in his sentencing.
“Wake up to that, Tracy ran to disarm you … then you hit her on the arm and head.
“Wendy fought with you and disarmed you … then they took the car keys and ran away and called the police.”
Tensions erupted after the house plans floated
The court learned that the three had been friends for more than a decade and shared a loved one of the boats.
Tension between them had arisen when Geddess decided to move to Victoria and buy a houseboat.
The court learned that Burke had paid the deposit for the house in Zeehan where they lived and the women were going to contribute the rest after the sale of their house in Queenstown.
But the women changed their minds and told Burke they were going to move.
“You were angry and upset,” Judge Pearce said.
Burke pleaded guilty to committing an illegal act intended to cause bodily harm by striking Wendy Geddes in the head, face and arms, causing her deep lacerations.
She also pleaded guilty to intentionally causing bodily harm to Tracey Geddes by striking her in the head and left arm with the same ax.
The court learned that the women were deeply religious and had suffered psychologically since the attack.
Judge Pearce also said that Burke and his mother were prisoners of war in World War II.
Burke will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence.
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