Sydney woman who attacked three people with an axe has jail time increased
A Sydney transgender woman who attacked three strangers with an axe has had her "manifestly inadequate" jail sentence increased from nine to 14 years.
In the majority decision on Monday, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal also increased Evie Amati's non-parole period from four-and-a-half years to eight years.
The third judge wanted to increase the 27-year-old's terms even further to a maximum of 15 and a minimum of nine years.
Amati attacked Ben Rimmer and Sharon Hacker with an axe inside a 7-Eleven at Enmore, then chased down nearby pedestrian Shane Redwood in January 2017.
Mr Rimmer suffered a fractured nasal bone, eye socket and cheekbones and bled profusely onto the petrol station shop's floor.
Ms Hacker, struck in the back of the neck, had the potentially-fatal blow softened by thick dreadlocks, while Mr Redwood blocked the axe with his backpack.
Before the late-night attack, Amati had been on a Tinder date, felt shamed for being transgender and took a cocktail of alcohol and other drugs.
Mental illness defence rejected
A District Court jury last year rejected her defence of mental illness, finding her guilty of wounding with intent to murder, attempting to wound with intent to murder, and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.
Crown barrister Maria Cinque had told the appeal court the original sentence was "so manifestly inadequate that it is an affront to the administration of justice".
Justice Peter Johnson, sitting with Acting Justice Carolyn Simpson and Justice Ian Harrison, said the three offences involved deliberate and separate attacks upon different people.
"Each victim believed that he or she was going to die and that, in fact, was [Amati's] intention," he said.
He noted Amati had a powerful set of subjective circumstances to be taken into account.
"She is an intelligent person with a troubled history which has given rise to mental health issues and presented her with clear difficulties in her life," he said.
Axe woman’s ‘inadequate’ sentence doubled
But the judges agreed the sentence imposed on her was "manifestly inadequate".
Speaking outside court, Ms Hacker said she thought the original sentence had not properly reflected the severity of the crime.
"I think now at least there is some sense that there will be a chance for her to repair the emotional problems," she told reporters.
Although jail was not the perfect solution for Amati, Ms Hacker said it was better than "being left in a life that you're not happy with".
"I actually feel like now I can get on with my life, that there's a little bit more closure, and keep going on and living, 'cause that's the chance I was afforded after this."
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