A woman involved in a stabbing at a northside bus stop must show her commitment to rehabilitation, or be locked up.
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Jamie Weaver, 26, could spend time behind bars if she does not show a willingness to allow intervention for her substance abuse and mental health issues.
Weaver appeared before the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday for sentencing on a charge of assisting her then partner, who had stabbed a man, with the intention of helping him to escape being caught or prosecuted.
In September, Weaver was found guilty of disposing of a knife Miroslav Jovanovic used to repeatedly stab the victim at Belconnen bus interchange.
Weaver was present when he knifed the victim in April last year.
The blade passed between the victim's ribs, collapsing a lung, damaging an artery and causing severe bleeding.
Weaver and Jovanovic then walked away from the scene before he passed her the knife.
She put it in her bag and is believed to have disposed of it as it has never been found.
She later told police she had no knowledge of a knife or any weapon.
But then entire incident was caught on CCTV, leading to Jovanovic to be sentenced to 10 years and nine months in jail, with a non-parole period of 5½ years.
The court on Wednesday heard Weaver had a minor criminal history, with no previous convictions for violence.
She had served one previous jail sentence for a drink driving conviction.
Chief Justice Helen Murrell characterised Weaver's role as low range.
But the court heard she posed a high-risk of reoffending as she had no pro-social contacts, was unemployed, had a gambling problem, abused drugs, and had undiagnosed mental health issues for which she had refused treatment.
The court also heard she had a poor attitude to supervision.
Chief Justice Murrell said Weaver had been aware of the stabbing when she took the knife, but there had been no premeditation on her part.
The judge told the offender a jail sentence would be an appropriate punishment but the length and how it would be served would be up for debate.
Chief Justice Murrell indicated she thought a three-to-four month jail sentence would be appropriate, but said she would suspend it for up to 18-months if Weaver could show commitment to intervention.
The matter was adjourned until December.