In short:
A woman who encouraged her husband while he attacked their neighbour with a chainsaw has been sentenced to three years jail in the Supreme Court in Hobart.
While she didn’t wield the chainsaw herself, Justice Stephen Estcourt said Lisa Anne Perryman’s criminal responsibility and moral culpability were too high for anything but time in jail.
What’s next?
Ms Perryman will be eligible for parole after serving half her sentence.
A southern Tasmanian woman who was involved in a chainsaw attack on her neighbour after a drawn out dispute over a dog has been sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Lisa Anne Perryman, 56, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of committing an unlawful act intended to cause bodily harm and one count of assault.
While she didn’t wield the chainsaw herself, she was jointly accused with her late husband Neville Perryman over the attack.
She stood trial alone, after he died before the case reached a jury.
The court heard on November 17, 2020, Mr and Mrs Perryman drove to the victim, Horace Monshing’s house in Middleton with a chainsaw.
Justice Stephen Estcourt said the attack had happened in the context of a “protracted dispute over a rather savage dog”.
Mr Monshing gave evidence during the trial that the Perrymans’ dog had caused “tension” between the two parties in the lead up to the incident, due to it walking onto his property.
During the attack, Mr Perryman swung the chainsaw, and Ms Perryman, under the influence of alcohol, encouraged him, while their dog attacked Mr Monshing.
Justice Estcourt found while her husband was on the ground, Ms Perryman pushed Mr Monshing and yelled “I want the dog to rip his throat out”.
The court heard Ms Perryman had also yelled “kill him Neville, kill him”.
Justice Estcourt said Ms Perryman continued her verbal abuse even as Mr Perryman was ready to leave, telling Mr Monshing she would “have to get [her] brothers to finish the job”.
Mr Monshing attempted to defend himself with a wooden croquet mallet during the chainsaw attack but was left with “serious injuries” to his right hand and left forearm, as well as dog bites.
He was treated in hospital where he required stitches and surgery.
The court heard he undertook physiotherapy, was unable to walk properly after surgery, and experienced loss of feeling and movement in his right hand, and scarring.
Justice Estcourt said he and his wife, who witnessed the attack, were unable to live in the house after the ordeal.
Perryman ‘actively’ encouraged husband, Justice finds
(ABC News: Luke Bowden)
In delivering his sentence, Justice Estcourt said Ms Perryman had “actively and continually encouraged her husband in a vile manner.”
He said it was a “spiteful” and “malicious” attack and said there were no mitigating factors, with the only explanation that Ms Perryman had been abusing alcohol.
He said while he had considered the option of a home detention order, the crimes were “too serious” for a non-custodial alternative.
“The defendant’s criminal responsibility and moral culpability are too high”, Justice Estcourt said.
He sentenced her to three years imprisonment, with Ms Perryman eligible for parole after serving half the sentence.
Court asked to consider home detention
In attempting to mitigate Ms Perryman’s sentence, her defence lawyer, Kim Baumeler said aside from pushing Mr Monshing her client hadn’t been physically involved in the attack.
She argued the motivation for the attack had come from Mr Perryman, who was more “dominant” in the relationship.
But Justice Estcourt interrupted, saying there was no evidence Mr Perryman had been the “prime mover”.
Ms Baumeler asked Justice Estcourt to consider home detention, rather than jail time.
She said Ms Perryman had lost her job and had been dealing with “significant trauma” after her husband’s death.
“It certainly does mean she’s vulnerable within the community,” Ms Baumeler said.
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