- A young jockey is accused of stabbing her ex-roommate
- A dispute is said to have arisen over alleged stolen goods
- A court heard how blunt scissors were allegedly used
A young jockey in training, who is seen as a rising star in the sport, has been accused of stabbing her ex-housemate in the back during a row over alleged theft of kitchenware.
Sariah Skye Champkin, 23, appeared in Toowoomba District Court last Friday charged with assault with intent to cause bodily harm while armed or in company, and with malicious damage after allegedly stabbing another person with a pair of blunt scissors.
She is also said to have damaged another ex-housemate’s car.
Champkin has pleaded not guilty to the two charges relating to the incident, which involved three people from the Toowoomba racing industry.
The court heard that on March 6, 2024, Champkin asked her then-housemates to immediately vacate a shared property after finding her kitchen utensils in a box.
The three housemates were in the process of moving, but had a date planned for departure: March 8, 2024.
When the roommates returned to the house, Champkin confronted one of them about the alleged theft of items, including a cheese board and a shredded cutting board, $200 cash and an air fryer, at which point the other roommate intervened.
Both former roommates admitted to the theft but denied taking any of the items listed.
Rising jockey Sariah Skye Champkin (pictured right) is accused of stabbing a female ex-housemate in the back
A court heard Champkin was angry about the alleged theft of kitchenware when the attack she is accused of took place
The court heard that a fight then broke out between the 23-year-old and one of the housemates, with both women hitting each other.
Champkin then allegedly grabbed a pair of blunt scissors, used to groom horses, and threatened her.
Prosecutor Nick Pratt alleged that Champkin threw the first two punches, hitting her ex-roommate in the face, before stabbing her in the neck with the scissors, leaving a small red mark and a stab wound.
“It escalated into a fight. Ms. Champkin broke up the fight by stabbing her in the back with a pair of scissors and then put the scissors to her throat,” Pratt said.
“There was an opportunity for her to effectively remove herself from the situation. It was unnecessary to use that force.”
Defense attorney David Jones KC argued that Champkin never put the scissors to the alleged victim’s throat, but only pressed them against her neck to end the confrontation.
Champkin also admitted to verbally threatening her ex-roommate, but denied stabbing her.
“I pushed the scissors into her neck while they were still closed,” Champkin said in her testimony.
‘I felt like I had no choice.
‘I just wanted to get out of the situation.
‘I was scared and nervous. I had never experienced a situation like this before.’
Champkin was further accused of damaging a vehicle used by her ex-roommate, allegedly throwing a tall mirror and two wooden nightstands over the property’s fence, striking the vehicle.
However, Mr Jones argued that it was impossible to throw the items over the 7-foot fence into the car, which was about 10 to 15 feet away, because of Champkin’s small stature.
Judge Lisa O’Neill set a sentencing date in the same court for July 26.