SYDNEY FATHER’S DESPERATE PLEA TO HIS KILLER: “PUT DOWN THE KNIFE” AS NEIGHBOUR STABS HIM TO DEATH WITH SAMURAI SWORD
- Sydney father Nathan Strudwick fatally stabbed with Samurai sword by neighbour Trevor Mark Bobak in Woy Woy just days before Christmas
- Strudwick reportedly pleaded with Bobak to “put down the knife” before his death, a court has heard
- Bobak has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but maintains he is not guilty of murder
Nathan Strudwick, a 41-year-old father from Sydney, made a desperate plea to his killer to “put down the knife” before he was fatally stabbed with a Samurai sword in a brutal act of violence.
According to a court hearing, Trevor Mark Bobak, Strudwick’s neighbour, arrived at a friend’s home looking for drugs on the day of the alleged murder, but left angry after failing to get what he wanted.
Later that day, Bobak allegedly grabbed another man, Christopher Barry, by the throat near Strudwick’s home. When Strudwick called out to check on Barry, Bobak pulled out the Samurai-style sword and pointed it first at Barry before turning it on Strudwick.
In a heartbreaking development, the court heard Strudwick raised his hands, telling his neighbour repeatedly to “put the knife down”, only for Bobak to allegedly thrust the weapon through his neck with force.
The blade pierced one side of Strudwick’s throat and protruded out the other, causing fatal injuries. Paramedics pronounced Strudwick dead a short time later after he collapsed while trying to flee the scene.
As Bobak fled the scene, he reportedly yelled: “I’ll be back for you” while holding the sword. Upon his arrest, he told police he was “sorry” and “didn’t mean” to kill Strudwick.
Bobak’s lawyer, Claire Wasley, argued in court that her client took full responsibility for killing Strudwick, but insisted it was not murder. She claimed Bobak was acting defensively in response to what he perceived as a threat.
The trial is set to continue on Wednesday.