A CAMPING holiday with colleagues took a terrifying turn when a paranoid and homeless stranger stabbed a Newcastle bodyboarder, leaving him fighting for life.
Billy Jo James Brown was homeless, agitated and struggling with his mental health when he saw Ryan Duck and his mates fishing at Pacific Palms, just south of Forster, on the night of November 27, 2022.
Mr Duck was smoking legally-prescribed cannabis when Brown confronted him by the river, told him he was "God" then demanded he hand over the joint because he was a police officer.
Brown followed the group and watched them when they headed back to their campsite about an hour later, causing them "a general sense of unease".
Mr Duck and two men approached Brown and asked him to stop, then followed him as he walked away.
Brown said "stop f***ing following me" and Mr Duck replied that he wanted to see where Brown was staying.
"It's nothing you haven't done to us already," Mr Duck said.
A back-and-forth ensued before Brown turned suddenly and pushed Mr Duck, who pushed Brown back.
But when Mr Duck raised his arm to block what he thought was going to be a punch, he was struck in the abdomen and felt sharp pain and tingling.
He saw blood soaking through his shirt.
"Did you just f***ing stab me?" Mr Duck screamed out in shock, according to a statement of agreed facts.
Mr Duck was flown to John Hunter Hospital, where he was resuscitated and treated for life-threatening injuries, including lacerations to his spleen, liver, stomach, diaphragm, tricep and bicep.
He spent 10 days in hospital across two admissions, after an infection sent him back.
Judge Penelope Wass sentenced Brown in Sydney Downing Centre District Court on Thursday to three years in jail, after he pleaded guilty to recklessly causing grievous bodily harm.
Brown was told he could walk free on parole after his minimum jail term of 22 months expired in September.
Judge Wass earlier heard Mr Duck's victim impact statement, which detailed his ongoing suffering.
"The injuries were very serious indeed and he thought he was going to die," Judge Wass said in her judgment.
"It must have been terrifying, and it continues to affect Mr Duck physically, mentally and financially."
The court heard Brown was living in a car when he was arrested, had immediately told police where the knife was and asked if Mr Duck was alright.
Judge Wass said Brown genuinely believed Mr Duck had posed a threat but regretted the harm he had caused.
She said Brown had suffered serious mental health issues for a long time and was unlikely to re-offend with the appropriate treatment.
She found special circumstances in the case.
Related charges of impersonating a police officer, stalking or intimidating and having custody of a knife in a public place were taken into account at sentencing.
