“Are you with me? I’m either gonna stab you or kill them,” Clarke told his friend, shortly before stabbing the victim, leaving him with wounds up to 3cm deep.
Clarke appeared for sentencing in the Hamilton District Court on a reduced charge of wounding with intent to injure.
He was originally charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Hostile and aggressive
On February 20, 2024, the victim was introduced to Clarke through a mutual friend at his Willoughby St house in the afternoon.
They started drinking while Clarke smoked meth and cannabis.
Clarke and his friend began arguing, with Clarke becoming “hostile and aggressive”, but the friend was able to calm things down.
About 7pm, the friend and the victim went into town.
The trio met back at the friend’s house about 8pm, and the friend noticed his phone was missing.
The friend and victim went back into town, and about 9pm, Clarke walked past Speights Ale House and found his friend.
He told him his phone was stolen by the victim.
Holding either a set of keys or a pair of scissors, he said he was going to look for him.
“Are you with me?” Clarke asked his friend. “I’m either gonna stab you or kill them,” he said.
The friend complied and walked with Clarke along Anglesea St before they saw the victim.
By now, Clarke was in an “erratic and elevated state” and moved towards the victim with his hand raised in a stabbing motion.
He then stabbed him in the back, causing four stab wounds.
Clarke then stood back and told him with a smirk, “that’s really gonna hurt in a minute”.
After being challenged by the victim’s friend, Clarke ran off.
The victim and his friend walked to a nearby bus shelter, where the victim became lightheaded and passed out.
Clarke was found on Tristram St later that night and arrested.
As for the weapon, he told police he didn’t have any scissors.
“I used my keys,” he said, and claimed he was acting in self-defence.
The victim was taken to Waikato Hospital and admitted to the high dependency unit, where he had a drain placed on his chest in case his lung collapsed.
The victim stayed there for three days, being treated for four 2 to 3cm deep stab wounds that passed through muscle, puncturing his right lung.
Clarke had earlier accepted an indication from Judge Stephen Clark of 20 months’ jail, and counsel Martin Dillon asked the judge for an extra 5% to 10% in credits for his client’s personal mitigating features, including his now diagnosed mental health condition.
Judge Clark agreed to adopt a small discount, and sentenced Clarke to nine months’ home detention.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22.