Adrian Waters, 23, had been at the victim’s unit in Wollongong socialising in the early hours of January 9 last year, however had already returned to his Myuna Way unit by the time the sunglasses were discovered missing.

The victim, assuming Waters had taken them “either deliberately or mistakenly” arrived at Waters’ home wanting to know where they were.

Waters denied taking the glasses but agreed to accompany the victim back to his unit.

The victim returned to the unit and was in the stairwell talking on his mobile phone when he heard someone running up the stairs towards him.

“He then noticed a figure of a person behind him to his left,” court documents said.

“He felt the sensation of someone punching him, once to the shoulder and again to his back.”

The court heard the victim did not immediately realise he’d been stabbed and turned to discover Waters in front of him, who said “come down my way talking shit” and then ran off.

The victim noticed Waters had a black-handled knife in his hand as fled, and only then realised he was bleeding profusely from the wound to his shoulder.

He was taken to hospital and underwent surgery.

A neaighbour later told police he heard Waters laughing as he ran from the scene.

Police obtained CCTV footage which clearly showed Waters and the victim walking into the unit block, then showed Waters running out again with the knife in his hand.

Waters was arrested later that afternoon. Police found him dressed in the same clothes he was wearing at the time of the attack. 

Waters pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless wounding during a recent court appearance.

He will be sentenced next month.