Meat cleaver held to woman’s throat in Shepparton home invasion

Prosecutor Andrew Moore played CCTV footage during the plea, which showed Craig trying to open the front door of a Shepparton home on November 7, 2023.

Craig demanded the victim open the front door, using aggressive and degrading terms, before he tried to open the front window by pushing it sideways.

He then kicked the front door multiple times and continued to yell at the victim, telling her to “open the door”.

Craig then attempted to push the door open using his hands and body while the victim was screaming for help from inside the Shepparton home.

After another kick, Craig forced the door open by charging at it with his shoulder and went inside, and the victim repeatedly yelled “don’t”.

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 if she pushed her emergency alarm button or used her phone, he would “take her life, bash her and make her unrecognisable”.

Overnight, Craig pushed the victim onto a bed, held a meat cleaver to her throat and told her he would take her life.

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.

During this time, Craig put his hands around the victim’s throat twice, which left her with difficulties swallowing and breathing.

The next day while Craig was in the laundry, the victim escaped and went to a friend’s house where she called 000 at about 10.26am on November 8, 2023.

Craig’s defence barrister Lauren Bull said he was an Aboriginal man who had an “extremely difficult, dysfunctional childhood” and had witnessed family violence incidents similar to this offending.

Craig started using substances at an early age, which was normalised by his family members, Ms Bull said.

She told the court rehabilitation was still a possibility for Craig.

“Rehabilitation is a journey. (Stafford Craig) was on a good track before this offending occurred,” Ms Bull said.

Ms Bull said Craig hadn’t been in jail for four years before the incident, and the offending occurred two weeks after he was made redundant and lost his job.

Ms Bull told the judge Craig’s physical health was something to consider while sentencing, as he had a heart attack last year, is on medication for his diabetes, and will eventually need surgery for his dental pain.

Judge John Kelly noted that among Craig’s 22 pages of priors, his first court appearance was in the Supreme Court for a murder trial.

Craig, who is in custody, will appear in court again for sentencing later this month.