Man threatened to kill Shepparton woman with meat cleaver

By Grace Carter

Aug 27, 2024

A man who threatened to kill a woman with a meat cleaver has been sentenced. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

A man threatened to kill a woman and held a meat cleaver to her throat in her Shepparton home.

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Stafford Craig, 53, was sentenced to two years and nine months in jail for holding a meat cleaver to a woman’s throat, threatening to kill her and imprisoning her in her Shepparton home in November last year.

Craig pleaded guilty in Shepparton County Court to making a threat to kill, false imprisonment, aggravated burglary and assault.

The court heard Craig tried to get into the Shepparton home by trying to push open a window and kicking the front door multiple times on November 7, 2023.

He repeatedly told the woman inside the home to “open the door”, and she screamed for help when Craig forced the front door open by charging at it with his shoulder.

Craig made the victim stay upstairs and prevented her from leaving when he stayed at the house overnight.

In documents submitted to the court, the victim said Craig told her he would “take her life, bash her and make her unrecognisable” if she tried to leave.

Overnight, Craig held a meat cleaver to her throat and put his hands around the victim’s throat, leaving her with difficulties swallowing and breathing.

He also punched the victim in the face and head, which left her with bleeding on her ear, a cut on her nose and bruising on her forehead.

In sentencing, Judge John Kelly noted Craig had a “traumatic and unstable upbringing”, and had been “robbed of the coping skills to keep away from jail”.

The court heard Craig was exposed to domestic violence and substance abuse throughout his childhood, and he had developed alcohol and drug issues.

Judge Kelly noted Craig’s defence barrister, Lauren Bull, said the offending occurred two weeks after he was made redundant and lost his job, and that he had diabetes among other medical issues.

While Judge Kelly noted Craig had a “strong work ethic” and was keen to work again after he had “tasted stability”, he couldn’t deny Craig’s “impressive criminal record”.

Craig had been sentenced for a murder charge in Victoria at the age of 26, for which he also received jail time, the court heard.

Judge Kelly said Craig’s offending was a “terrifying ordeal” for the woman that left its mark on her, and he had to sentence him to prison time to deter him from offending this way again.