Seven years for attack

By Jade Lawton
PAKENHAM man Scot Alan Murdoch has been sentenced to seven years’ jail for a brutal assault on a Berwick woman that left her in hospital for six weeks.
In her Supreme Court ruling last Wednesday, Justice Betty King said the 2006 attack had done ‘untold damage’ to the victim and her family.
The court heard that Karen Cheeseman, then known as Karen Duker, was a single mother living on the disability pension when she joined the phone chat line Hot Gossip on 25 September 2006.
At about 2.45am the next day, Murdoch left a message for Ms Cheeseman and the pair exchanged several messages before Ms Cheeseman arranged to collect Murdoch from the Bi-Lo car park.
After arriving at Ms Cheeseman’s Berwick home, they each drank a vodka and passionfruit UDL.
Addressing Murdoch, Justice King said: “After being with Ms Cheeseman for an hour or so, you then began to move around the house and it appeared, Ms Cheeseman said, to her that you were checking out each of the rooms.”
Murdoch then attempted to kiss and cuddle Ms Cheeseman, who refused to have sex with him.
“She said your mood changed quickly and you asked her to drive you back to the Pakenham area, which she refused to do as she had been consuming alcohol … you appeared, according to Ms Cheeseman, to be very angry.”
Murdoch then grabbed Ms Cheeseman around the neck and throat, stabbed her three times in the throat and cheek and struck Ms Cheeseman to the temple with a large paperweight, opening a wound to the bone. Murdoch, now 32, fled the scene, taking Ms Cheeseman’s car and bag.
Ms Cheeseman regained consciousness about 7.30am and contacted 000 and her mother.
She was hospitalised for six weeks and must now wear a brace on her left leg at all times and is no longer able to drive a vehicle.
Justice King said she took into account Murdoch’s past criminal history, the impact on the victim and references to Murdoch’s good character when considering the verdict.
“I take in to account in your favour … your indications of remorse which I accept to be genuine but it appears to me also to focus not only in the regret for what happened to the victim in this case but also very much what happened to your family and to a large degree, yourself.”
Murdoch, who has already served more than 1000 days in prison, will serve five years before he is eligible for parole.