A man stabbed during an alcohol-fuelled dispute was left with part of his intestines protruding from his body, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Batemans Bay man John Langbein is facing serious charges after he allegedly stabbed his friend and neighbour Mark Neal three times with an unknown weapon.
Langbein, 51, and Neal live in the same unit complex on South Street and have been friends for several years, police said.
Court documents reveal the two men were drinking at the home of Langbein's son in the Nelligen area on Wednesday, when Langbein and his son got into an argument.
Neal attempted to intervene and restrain Langbein, which resulted in the two older men becoming involved in a scuffle.
Langbein left the premises shortly after.
Neal allegedly received text messages and phone calls from Langbein the following day about their altercation, including one that read "soon as you get here we are having a talk or a blue out the back mark (sic)".
Neal returned to his unit complex about 7pm and was immediately confronted by Langbein, who allegedly stabbed Neal with an unknown object three times; twice in his abdomen, and once to the lower left side of his back.
Neal later told police he thought he'd been tasered and attempted to get away from Langbein.
However, it was only then he saw he was bleeding, and a portion of his intestines were protruding from one of the wounds in his stomach.
Neal drove himself to Batemans Bay Hospital but was later airlifted to Canberra, where he underwent surgery for his injuries.
Doctors confirmed that a 10-15cm section of Neal's small intestine had been pierced, and had to be removed during surgery.
Police attended the unit complex about 9pm and saw blood on the wall and ground in one of the car parking spaces and on Langbein's forearms and clothing.
A police search of the exterior of the unit complex failed to locate any weapon.
Langbein was arrested and taken to Batemans Bay Police Station.
He refused to answer police questions and was later released from custody without charge pending further inquiries.
Detectives got a statement from Neal on Saturday and arrested Langbein later that afternoon.
He was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and reckless grievous bodily harm.
In Wollongong Bail Court on Sunday, police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Shannon Ryan opposed Langbein's bail application, noting he had a history of violent offences, including alcohol-related incidents.
He also raised concerns that the two men lived in the same residential complex.
Langbein's solicitor said he had a history of alcohol dependency and depression and wanted to attend rehab.
Registrar Kirby Moore refused Langbein bail, noting the seriousness of the offence.
He will appear in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday.