A Sydney man has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for stabbing his brother and mother in a violent attack stemming from a fabricated university graduation, according to court records and reports from Australian media outlets.
Dang, whose last name has been withheld in some reports, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to wounding with intent to murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The incident occurred when his older brother, Jackys, confronted him about the alleged deception regarding his academic status.
Court documents detailed that Dang “suddenly felt a hot sensation in the back of his neck” and turned to observe his brother holding a small fruit knife. Jackys reportedly asked, “What are you doing? Is this about the graduation thing? I turned out fine, you can stop this.”
The attack escalated when their mother, Thri Truc Mai Nguyen, 56, intervened. Dang then stabbed his mother in the throat before she was able to disarm him, according to the court documents. Both Jackys and Nguyen were subsequently taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Jackys sustained critical injuries, requiring 13 days of hospitalization, including five days in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator. Nguyen spent four days in hospital recovering from her injuries, The Canberra Times reported.
Police were alerted to the incident and Dang reportedly confessed to having homicidal and suicidal ideations. A court fact sheet revealed he “had given up on life and had thought to kill his family and then himself,” explaining that he had waited for police to arrive after concluding his plan had failed.
During the sentencing hearing, a psychiatrist testified that Dang, who has autism, experienced isolation and intense pressure related to academic achievement, influenced by his parents’ background of poverty and cultural expectations, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Judge Imad Abdul-Karim, sentencing Dang remotely, noted that the attack appeared “relatively spontaneous” and linked to the mental health impairments presented. Dang will be ineligible for parole for three years. The judge stated, “He said he was depressed and was not thinking straight.”
Information on court lists is available to the public via the District Court of New South Wales website, allowing searches by name, case number, location, date, and other criteria, with listings updated two weeks in advance, according to the court’s website. The online court list is updated several times a day.