Emotional scenes have played out during the trial into the death of paramedic and young father Steven Tougher, with disturbing details of the murder outlined in court.
Mr Tougher was stabbed 55 times during a meal break outside a McDonald’s in Campbelltown, south-west Sydney, on April 14, 2023.
Jordan James Fineanganofo, 23, admitted stabbing the 29-year-old to death but pleaded not guilty to murder in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday due to mental health issues.
There were agonized cries from family members as the court was told Fineanganofo approached Mr Tougher and without saying a word began stabbing him.
‘What are you doing? Stop stabbing me, buddy,” Mr. Tougher told him.
At one point during the nearly four-minute attack, Fineanganofo told Mr. Tougher: “Say you’re sorry.”
“I’m sorry mate, whatever you think I did,” a badly injured but still conscious Mr Tougher replied.
Fineanganofo hung his head and covered his face as details of the attack were read to the court.
A man has admitted stabbing paramedic and young father Steven Tougher (pictured) to death, but prosecutors have argued for a special mental health sentence
Outlining the evidence, Crown prosecutor Ken McKay SC said Mr Tougher was unable to escape because he was trapped between the back of the ambulance and his attacker.
Despite the efforts of several members of the public to help, Fineanganofo continued to stab Mr Tougher even after the paramedic had fallen to the ground.
Bystander James Arthur ran over in an attempt to help, kicked Fineanganofo and shouted at him to stop.
“You’re going to kill him,” Mr Arthur said, the court was told.
“F****** leave him alone.”
In response to calls from another bystander, Fineanganofo allegedly said: “I’m going to jail anyway, I might as well kill him” or “I have to kill him because I have to go to prison.”
Fineanganofo has also pleaded not guilty on mental health grounds to a series of charges over alleged incidents in nearby suburbs leading up to Mr Tougher’s murder.
These included allegations of threatening several people with a knife and assaulting at least one person.
Fineanganofo’s lawyer AJ Karim said the defense’s position was largely identical to that of the prosecution, including that the physical acts of the crime had been committed.
Both the prosecution and defense had hired psychiatrists who agreed that Fineanganofo could claim he knew what he was doing but did not know it was wrong.
Jordan James Fineanganofo (pictured) admitted stabbing the 29-year-old to death but pleaded not guilty to murder due to mental health issues
Forensic psychiatrist Kerri Eagle, retained by the prosecutor, determined that Fineanganofo had a mental health disorder at the time of the offense and exhibited signs and symptoms of a psychotic illness consistent with a relapse of schizophrenia.
Mr McKay told the court Fineanganofo was charged after attacking a neighbor in 2021, but instead of being prosecuted he was involuntarily taken into treatment for mental health problems.
According to hospital records, at the time, Fineanganofo had been isolated in his family home for a year with minimal interaction with others, causing him to become increasingly paranoid about other people, including his family.
His mother reported that he was reacting to auditory hallucinations and that she found a knife hidden in his room.
“The family feared for their safety,” Mr McKay was quoted as saying in the report.
The case has been adjourned for a mental health sentence decision to be handed down by Judge David Davies on Friday.
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