A woman has been released from custody after pleading guilty to stabbing a man she alleged had sexually assaulted her.
Tamara Maree Langton, 53, was sentenced in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Tuesday for one count of wounding.
The court heard Langton was homeless and attending a St Vincent de Paul event at Civic Square on December 11, 2024, when she recognised the man.
She publicly accused him of the assault. She then approached him from behind and stabbed him twice in the lower back with a kitchen knife.
He was taken to hospital where his wounds were stitched up. No lasting injuries were reported.
Justice Michael Brett said the use of a weapon was “very concerning” and that the attack could have had “much worse consequences”.
“Further, it occurred in public and may have been witnessed by other people,” he said.
“Although you were upset because of what he had done to you, the fact that you decided to take the law into your own hands in such a violent way actually increases the objective seriousness of the crime.”
However, Justice Brett accepted that Langton’s mental health significantly mitigated her culpability.
The court heard she had been diagnosed with PTSD, late-onset bipolar disorder and had suffered an acquired brain injury after being struck with a baseball bat.
She had also experienced the breakdown of her marriage, loss of contact with her children and prolonged homelessness.
A psychologist assessed Langton as having impaired mental functioning at the time of the offence, which contributed to her reaction upon recognising the complainant.
“I agree that your mental state is a significant factor which mitigates your moral culpability for what objectively is a very serious crime,” Justice Brett said.
Langton had been in custody since February 20, 2025. She had also been on remand for an unrelated charge of which a jury acquitted her two weeks ago.
She was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, backdated to when she entered custody, with the balance suspended for 12 months.
Langton walked free on the condition she does not reoffend and submits to probation supervision, including directed psychological treatment.
