A 21-year-old Melbourne man who tried to stab his father to death has been jailed for eight years, after a judge found he acted out of a distorted belief he needed to protect his young nephews from harm.
News.com.au reports that Jude Corbett attacked his father in a St Kilda apartment about 9 pm on 19 October last year, telling him, “I have to do this … I’m going to stop you.” He fled while neighbours called for help. His father survived but now suffers from reduced mobility and cannot use his right hand.
Corbett was arrested later that night and made full admissions, later pleading guilty to attempted murder.
Sentencing Corbett on Friday, Judge Amanda Fox said the punishment must make clear that no one has “the right to take the law into their own hands”.
The court heard Corbett suffered an “extremely neglectful and disrupted childhood”, allegedly involving abuse from his father — allegations the father denies. A psychiatrist told the court Corbett “consistently and truly believed” he had been abused.
Judge Fox said Corbett’s acquired brain injury, personality disorder, and belief that authorities had failed to protect him fuelled his conviction that only he could safeguard his nephews.
She said, noting there was no “imminent or immediate danger” to the children when Corbett launched the attack,
“This contributed to your belief that violent action was the only viable means of protection.”
While the Crown argued the offence amounted to “vigilante behaviour”, the judge disagreed, saying Corbett’s trauma had directly shaped his actions.
“You acted to protect your nephews and, while you knew what you were doing was wrong, your behaviour was affected by your own childhood trauma,” she said.
“No person has the right to take the law into their own hands.”
Judge Fox found Corbett had strong prospects for rehabilitation and said his mental impairments and past should moderate his sentence.
“There is great public benefit in rehabilitating a young offender and maximising the prospect that they go on to live a lawful life,” she said.
Corbett will be eligible for parole after serving four years and three months.
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