A man accused of stabbing a mother repeatedly with scissors while she defended her son from a random attack has spoken out as he faced court.
Jerry Sowood, 27, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on violence charges on Wednesday afternoon a day after the alleged incident outside Melbourne West Police Station in the city’s CBD.
He has been charged with affray, intentionally cause injury and unlawful assault, conduct endanger life and conduct endanger serious injury.
After a lawyer told magistrate Vincenzo Caltabiano he had not received instructions from Mr Sowood, the accused man started speaking directly to the court.
“Mr Sowood, there is someone here, a lawyer here who is willing to help,” Mr Caltabiano said.
“No, thank you,” he responded.
Mr Sowood declined to apply for bail and said he did not want to speak to a custody nurse because he was “religious”.
Asked by the magistrate if he was on any medication or had any diagnosis, he responded: “I was in mental state of mind, what I do”.
“I took a scissors and I stabbed a woman, I was in a mental state of mind,” he said.
“There was three people, they kicked and punched me in the head.
“At least they’re both still breathing so I keep my humanity, they might be a bit traumatised.”
Mr Sowood was remanded into custody to return to court in November.
According to Victoria Police, the 27-year-old man arrested in the Melbourne CBD about 1pm Tuesday after allegedly assaulting a 10-year-old boy before stabbing his mum, who stepped in to help the child.
Superintendent Zorka Dunstan said the man allegedly “randomly” attacked the child by punching him in the stomach.
The Sunshine West man allegedly then put the boy’s mother in a headlock and stabbed her repeatedly with a pair of scissors.
A member of the public then alleged jumped in to try to assist the mother and son, police said.
Footage obtained by 9News showed bystanders tackling the man, pinning him to the ground as they tried to flag down emergency services.
“A citizen immediately intervened and jumped onto the 27-year-old male, he’s grabbed him off the female and … we had two other citizens also come and assist pinning him down,” Superintendent Dunstan said.
“It’s heroic, without a doubt, without their intervention it could’ve been a lot worse, so we’re so grateful for their assistance and I’m sure the family are as well.”
The mum was taken to hospital along with the boy to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Herald Sun reports the mum and her son were on a family holiday at the time the attack unfolded.
Officers quickly arrested the man, who is allegedly known to police in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia.
The superintendent said fortunately the other two children were not injured but were distressed after witnessing the alleged attack.
“I gave (one of the boys) a hug because you know I was impacted just by watching how he reacted,” she said.
“I’m just grateful that we had people assist immediately, there’s no doubt that if they didn’t assist it would have been a lot more serious.”
A pair of scissors was seized by police.
Police believe he was not known to the woman and boy.
The incident unfolded just down the road from the Spencer St Police Station.