THREE STRIKES KILLED TWO
ALVA BEACH STABBINGS TRAGEDY
THREE strikes with a kitchen knife are believed responsible for the deaths of two men at Alva Beach. One man was stabbed twice in the chest, near his heart and lungs, with a sharp, pointed kitchen knife, estimated to be at least 15cm long, a source close to the investigation said. The other was stabbed once in the armpit by the same knife in a single blow which is believed to have severed his axillary artery. Father- of- three Corey Christensen, 37, and Tom Davy, 27, died from the stab wounds shortly after midnight on Monday. Police are investigating if the stabbings were an act of self- defence by resident Dean Webber, 19, and are preparing a report for the coroner.
THREE knife strikes by a terror- stricken teenager believed to be acting in self- defence killed two men during a violent home invasion on an illfated grand final night at Alva Beach.
One man was stabbed twice in the chest – in the vicinity of the heart and lungs – with a sharp, pointed kitchen knife, estimated to be at least 15cm long, a source close to the investigation exclusively told the Townsville Bulletin.
The other man was stabbed once in the armpit by the same knife in a single blow that is believed to have severed his axillary artery.
Local father- of- three Corey Christensen, 37, and Tom Davy, 27, died from the critical stab wounds and massive blood loss in a tragic postscript to a drunken night of NRL Grand Final revelry shortly after midnight on Monday morning.
Both men staggered outside the Topton St house after the stabbings with one collapsing on the driveway, the other on the road.
Police are investigating if the fatal stabbings were an act of self defence by resident Dean Webber, 19, who was taken into custody but released without charge, and are preparing a report for the coroner.
The thinly- built apprentice fitter, who weighs about 60kg, had armed himself with a knife to protect himself and an injured Candice Locke who had banged on his door in the dark of night, crying and begging for help.
Ms Locke, 29, had run down the street from a block party near the beach to seek help to call for an ambulance to treat a badly dislocated shoulder hurt in a quad bike accident. The two men had followed her to the house in a four- wheeler buggy yelling out, “Don’t call the police”. They banged on windows and doors before leaving.
Police are still trying to work out why the men, who had been drinking, were trying to get to Ms Locke, who was screaming in terror, begging, “Don’t let them get me. They are bad people”, the source said.
Mr Webber had called for an ambulance and police and had made a second call to triple- 0 and was still on the phone when the men returned minutes later with another unknown man and tore the front screen door off the hinges and stormed the house.
The entire exchange – and the violent melee as the invaders charged at the teen before they were wounded and left the house – was recorded on the triple- 0 call.
The coroner will investigate why it took about 50 minutes for police to respond to the two desperate triple- 0 pleas for help.
Burdekin MP Dale Last called on Police Minister Mark Ryan to explain to the community why the response from emergency services was delayed.
“The minister needs to come out and say why it took so long for police to arrive on the scene at Alva Beach,” he said.
“The minister also needs to confirm how long it took emergency services to arrive.”
Mr Last questioned whether the community was adequately resourced to meet its needs.
“The minister needs to be very open and honest with the people still coming to terms with this horrific incident, and the community does have the right to ask questions regarding police and ambulance resources and response times,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the Police Minister provided the following statement: “This is an ongoing investigation, which will form part of a report to be submitted to the coroner, therefore it would be inappropriate for the minister to make any comment,” she said.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman declined to comment on the grounds the matter would be referred to the coroner.