Sarah Jeannie Bowes: Karloo woman allegedly stabs husband with kitchen knife in domestic dispute

A Karloo woman accused of stabbing her partner with a kitchen knife because he refused to give her keys to the car while she was allegedly drunk will not be allowed to consume alcohol while on bail. Sarah Jeannie Bowes, 37, appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Tuesday from custody charged with unlawful wounding in circumstances of aggravation and driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. On Monday the court heard Mrs Bowes called and messaged her husband of 16 years while he was at work because she couldn’t find the keys to her car. When he arrived, the court heard the couple began arguing, with Mr Bowes refusing to hand over the key knowing Mrs Bowes had been drinking. Prosecuting officer Sgt Paul White told the court Mrs Bowes allegedly went inside and took a 20-25cm bladed kitchen knife and in a single motion raised the knife and plunged it into the left side of her husband’s chest. The alleged attack caused Mr Bowes to drop the keys and leave the property to seek help, while Mrs Bowes drove away from the address. Police allegedly stopped Mrs Bowes shortly after and a blood sample was taken. The court heard Mrs Bowes had a blood alcohol reading of 0.189. Sgt White opposed bail, stating although she may be suffering from a mental health illness, Mrs Bowes demonstrated a “blasé attitude” towards the alleged incident and had a history of “manipulative” and “coercive” behaviour in the past. “Whether it was due to intoxication at the time, I don’t know,” he said. Defence counsel Melissa Wishart said there was recognition of how serious the allegations were but it was not a “straightforward matter”. Ms Wishart requested bail at a different address, allowing a third party to collect a number of personal items from the family home. Mrs Bowes was granted bail with a 9am-6pm curfew and must report to the police station every Tuesday and Friday. Magistrate Angus Hockton did not issue a restraining order, but instead made it a condition Mrs Bowes cannot intimidate or act in a violent manner towards her husband. She cannot consume alcohol and is subject to random breath testing. The matter was adjourned until Thursday, December 28 for legal advice. Outside of court, a St John Ambulance spokesperson confirmed crews took a man in his 40s to Geraldton Regional Hospital at about 10.30am where he was treated for a 6cm wound.