poledriver
Bluelighter
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- Jul 21, 2005
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Aus - Ice addict stabbed cop, left him for dead
AN ICE-CRAZED man who plunged a knife into the ribs of a police officer four times and left him for dead could be free from jail in little over a year.
Sen-Sgt David Reither lay bleeding to death when he called his wife and told her he didn’t know if he would make it home alive.
The dedicated officer of 26 years wanted the mother of his young son to hear it from him and not be woken by a stranger in the night.
Just moments earlier he had pulled over to help Damien Power, who he found beside a car sitting idle on the Midland Highway near Batesford.
Sen-Sgt Reither would spend the next three days in intensive care fighting for life.
Power, who was 23 at the time, was in the middle of a drug-induced psychotic episode when he yanked the handbrake of his girlfriend’s car and sent it spinning across the highway.
He was certain a creature was in the car and jumped out to investigate.
Sen-Sgt Reither just happened to be passing by when he hit the lights and pulled over to help.
Power’s worried girlfriend could not reason with him and asked the policeman for help.
But when the officer returned to his car to call 000, Power struck from behind.
Sen-Sgt Reither thought he had been punched in the ribs until he felt the blood spilling from his wounds.
In a stroke of luck, a doctor just happened to pass by and provided the critically injured policeman life-saving assistance.
Power was arrested a short time later in a nearby paddock and has spent the past 301 days in jail.
The Victorian County Court heard today that Sen-Sgt Reither was extremely lucky to be alive.
The knife fractured his ribs near the heart and cut into his diaphragm and spleen.
Blood spilled into his chest and collapsed his lung.
It was only the skill of surgeons that saved his life.
The court heard that two other police officers had faced off with Power just five days earlier on August 18 last year.
Armed with a hunting knife, the ice-crazed Power begged police to shoot him.
The kitchen hand had earlier walked into his workplace in West Geelong and ordered his colleagues out of the kitchen.
He was apprehended without incident and spent three days in the psych ward.
The court heard that Power had lived an ordinary and law-abiding life until he took up the dreaded drug ice.
Judge Gerard Mullaly described the drug as a “scourge” which had a disastrous reaction on Power’s mind.
He said the drug affected Power’s character so much that it shocked not only himself but those who knew him.
Power, of Grovedale, pleaded guilty to single counts of intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury and a count of intentionally causing injury.
He was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail with a minimum of two years.
Judge Mullaly said he took into account Power’s plea of guilty, previous good behaviour and the fact he had been in a drug-induced psychosis at the time of the offending.
However, he condemned Power’s use of ice and said police safety needed to be protected by the law.
The court heard Power had since written letters of apology to the police officers and was now drug free.
Judge Mullaly said he hoped Power would benefit from a longer parole period where he could be supervised if released early.
Power blew a kiss to his supporters as he was led back to jail.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/la...ord-is-sentenced/story-fni0fee2-1226959786761
AN ICE-CRAZED man who plunged a knife into the ribs of a police officer four times and left him for dead could be free from jail in little over a year.
Sen-Sgt David Reither lay bleeding to death when he called his wife and told her he didn’t know if he would make it home alive.
The dedicated officer of 26 years wanted the mother of his young son to hear it from him and not be woken by a stranger in the night.
Just moments earlier he had pulled over to help Damien Power, who he found beside a car sitting idle on the Midland Highway near Batesford.
Sen-Sgt Reither would spend the next three days in intensive care fighting for life.
Power, who was 23 at the time, was in the middle of a drug-induced psychotic episode when he yanked the handbrake of his girlfriend’s car and sent it spinning across the highway.
He was certain a creature was in the car and jumped out to investigate.
Sen-Sgt Reither just happened to be passing by when he hit the lights and pulled over to help.
Power’s worried girlfriend could not reason with him and asked the policeman for help.
But when the officer returned to his car to call 000, Power struck from behind.
Sen-Sgt Reither thought he had been punched in the ribs until he felt the blood spilling from his wounds.
In a stroke of luck, a doctor just happened to pass by and provided the critically injured policeman life-saving assistance.
Power was arrested a short time later in a nearby paddock and has spent the past 301 days in jail.
The Victorian County Court heard today that Sen-Sgt Reither was extremely lucky to be alive.
The knife fractured his ribs near the heart and cut into his diaphragm and spleen.
Blood spilled into his chest and collapsed his lung.
It was only the skill of surgeons that saved his life.
The court heard that two other police officers had faced off with Power just five days earlier on August 18 last year.
Armed with a hunting knife, the ice-crazed Power begged police to shoot him.
The kitchen hand had earlier walked into his workplace in West Geelong and ordered his colleagues out of the kitchen.
He was apprehended without incident and spent three days in the psych ward.
The court heard that Power had lived an ordinary and law-abiding life until he took up the dreaded drug ice.
Judge Gerard Mullaly described the drug as a “scourge” which had a disastrous reaction on Power’s mind.
He said the drug affected Power’s character so much that it shocked not only himself but those who knew him.
Power, of Grovedale, pleaded guilty to single counts of intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury and a count of intentionally causing injury.
He was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail with a minimum of two years.
Judge Mullaly said he took into account Power’s plea of guilty, previous good behaviour and the fact he had been in a drug-induced psychosis at the time of the offending.
However, he condemned Power’s use of ice and said police safety needed to be protected by the law.
The court heard Power had since written letters of apology to the police officers and was now drug free.
Judge Mullaly said he hoped Power would benefit from a longer parole period where he could be supervised if released early.
Power blew a kiss to his supporters as he was led back to jail.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/la...ord-is-sentenced/story-fni0fee2-1226959786761
