‘Not an isolated incident’: Alexander George O’Sachy’s pattern of abuse before fatal stabbing of Angela Goodwin

A Brisbane man who fatally stabbed his partner in the leg, severing a major artery, had committed a nearly identical act of violence years earlier, a court has been told. Alexander George O’Sachy, 47, appeared in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday wearing a dark blue suit and holding a large brown paper bag as prosecutors detailed his history of violence and drug offences. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his girlfriend, Angela Silk, also known as Angela Goodwin, who bled to death inside his Upper Mount Gravatt home on September 6, 2021. He had initially been charged with murder before the Crown accepted his guilty plea to the lesser offence. Crown prosecutor Dejana Kovac told the court O’Sachy had a “lengthy criminal history” dating back to 1999, with more than 50 offences including unlawful wounding, assault occasioning bodily harm, drug trafficking, and breaching probation. His history also includes a conviction in 2012, when he pleaded guilty to having unlawful carnal knowledge of 15-year-old Leanne Thompson who died by suicide a week later. At the time, a judge said O’Sachy had “exploited her immaturity” and jailed him for two years, to be suspended after six months. He was also serving sentences for drugs and dishonesty offences. Ms Kovac said the attack on Ms Goodwin was “almost identical offending” to an earlier incident in 2008 where O’Sachy had placed his hands around another woman’s throat, armed himself with a steak knife, and stabbed her in the leg during an argument. The court was told Ms Goodwin had confided to friends that she was being physically abused by O’Sachy, saying he had once struck her with a baseball bat and that she was terrified of him. Ms Kovac said that on the night of her death, neighbours heard a woman screaming, followed later by a yell of “get away from me”. A man who went to the house told police he heard Ms Goodwin say, “I’m getting weak” before entering and finding her on the bedroom floor in a pool of blood. O’Sachy threw a towel at the man and shouted, “help me.” The witness told him to call an ambulance, saying, “this is more than I can help with.” Ms Kovac told the court O’Sachy eventually called triple-0 after being prompted by the witness, but “by that stage the damage had already been done.” The court was told there was a 19-minute delay between the stabbing and O’Sachy calling an ambulance. When paramedics arrived 15 minutes later, Ms Goodwin was found on her back with “significant” blood loss from a stab wound to her left thigh which had almost completely severed a major artery. Blood-stained clothes were discovered in the washing machine and sink, and the bed had been stripped. The Crown said O’Sachy prioritised cleaning and “controlling his story”, telling authorities Ms Goodwin had a history of self-harm instead of seeking urgent medical help. “This was not an isolated incident of violence,” Ms Kovac said. She said there were also elements of “jealousy and intimidation” in the relationship and told the court there was a “real risk” O’Sachy would reoffend. A powerful victim impact statement written by Ms Goodwin’s daughter was also read aloud by a family friend. She pleaded for O’Sachy to receive the maximum penalty of life in prison. “She guided us through our daily lives,” she wrote, describing how the death of her mother shattered the family. She said her autistic brother, who relied heavily on their mother, had later taken his own life. “This has been the most devastating time of my life … I’m truly unable to put into words the loss it has brought upon us.” Defence barrister Laura Reece tendered character references from O’Sachy’s mother, brother and sister-in-law, along with medical documents showing he suffered from depression and anxiety. The court was told he had previously been treated for schizophrenia, although Ms Reece stressed she was not suggesting this explained his offending. She said O’Sachy had a history of long-term drug use but continued to have the support of his family. Despite his criminal history, he was described as coming from a loving home without signs of a deprived childhood. Ms Reece argued there had been a genuine attempt to provide assistance to Ms Goodin, but Justice Sullivan noted the lies O’Sachy had told in his statements and said it would be difficult to separate truth from fabrication when considering his claims of helping Ms Goodwin. He noted that, regardless, “there was a period of delay” in calling triple-0. Justice Tom Sullivan is expected to hand down the sentence on Thursday. Domestic Violence helplines