A man who drunkenly stabbed two people with a Swiss Army knife, nearly killing one, may avoid jail so he can seek help for mental health and drug problems.
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Benjamin Roy Flowers, 37, was involved in an early morning brawl with two other men after a night of drinking.
The three men were walking from a lawn bowls club in Turner, when the two victims asked Flowers for a lighter.
The court heard a scuffle broke out between Flowers and one of the victims, which ended when the second victim pulled his friend from the offender, and told him to ''leave it alone''.
The fight left Flowers disorientated, the court heard.
He pulled out a Swiss Army knife and chased after the two victims, stabbing one man in the back and the other in the chest and abdomen.
The stab wounds left one of the victims fighting for his life in hospital. He has since made a full recovery, but has permanent scarring.
Flowers appeared before Chief Justice Terence Higgins for sentencing in the Supreme Court yesterday.
Chief Justice Higgins said the attack was ''out of character'' for Flowers, pointing to his relatively clean criminal record.
The court heard Flowers suffered from mental health, drug and alcohol problems.
The offender was receiving treatment in Odyssey House in Sydney, and the court heard he was making significant progress, but was kicked out after forming a relationship with another patient.
But Chief Justice Higgins yesterday deferred making a sentence for six months, telling Flowers to return to Odyssey House for further treatment.
Chief Justice Higgins said if Flowers was able to treat the underlying causes of his criminal behaviour, then he would likely avoid jail time and be placed on a good behaviour order.
Flowers has pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and one of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.
