Man who knifed a guest at a booze and cocaine-fuelled poolside party in Sydney's North Turramurra learns his fate
- Lazarus Briggs, 28, stabbed 10 times
- Jess Ratcliff, 32, jailed after guilty plea
- READ MORE: Man stabbed at North Turramurra party
A man who knifed a guest at a booze and cocaine-fuelled poolside party on Sydney's upper north shore after a fight over an omelette has been jailed.
Jess William Ratcliff, 32, stabbed 28-year-old Lazarus Briggs 10 times with a 30cm kitchen knife, perforating his bowel and severing an artery in his arm which surgeons had to fight to save.
Last Thursday, Ratcliff was sentenced to a minimum one year and two months in prison after pleading guilty in the NSW District Court to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Judge Craig Smith gave Ratcliff a 15 per cent discount on sentence for his plea and imposed a maximum term of two years, three months and six days.
Daily Mail revealed last week exactly what happened when a fight broke out about 1.30am at a party around the pool of a $4million home at North Turramurra on March 24, 2024.
The Saturday night gathering was held at the five-bedroom family home of projects executive David Harper and his wife Dianne, and was attended by a group of young people including their son Matthew.
Harper, his partner Ainsley Keir, Austen Malanot and Harper's friend Ratcliff began drinking alcohol around 3pm at an outside table near the pool until 10pm when Malanot invited Ayla Estacio to join them.
Estacio brought along Briggs, who had been attending the Wests Tigers match against Cronulla Sharks in an NRL clash at Leichhardt Oval that afternoon.
A man who knifed a guest at a booze and cocaine-fuelled poolside party on Sydney 's upper north shore has been jailed. Matthew Harper (above) was repeatedly punched in the face at the same gathering
Lazarus Briggs (above) was stabbed 10 times with the main artery in his left bicep completely severed which put him at risk of losing his arm, doctors said
They arrived at North Turramurra at 10.48pm, with Briggs bringing a bottle of Japanese whisky.
According to a statement of police facts, Briggs 'appeared to be intoxicated before he arrived' and he and Ratcliff 'were consuming cocaine and other prohibited drugs throughout the evening'.
The facts state that as the party went on, it became clear Briggs and Ratcliff 'were not getting along'.
At 1.30am, Ratcliff and Estacio went into the kitchen to make an omelette 'and shared the use of a kitchen knife to chop up the ingredients'.
When they returned to the table outside, an argument about the food broke out between Briggs and Ratcliff, with Briggs warning: 'If you want to be rude like that again, we can have it out here or I'm going to slap you.'
Both men stood up at the table and Matthew Harper moved between them to defuse the situation, but Briggs reached around Harper and slapped Ratcliff 'hard in the face'.
Harper told Briggs, 'I think it's time to go, mate', which infuriated Briggs who fired insults back, later telling police he was 'in a rage'.
When Harper again told Briggs to leave, Briggs replied: 'Well, I'll leave and I'm going to take your b***h with me then, c***.'
The five-bedroom family home at North Turramurra of health care professional Dianne Harper and projects executive David Harper where the stabbing occurred
Jess Ratcliff used a 30cm kitchen knife to chop up ingredients for an omelette, and when he returned to a table outside, an argument about the food broke out
Harper understood that comment to be a reference to his girlfriend and pointed to the gate, telling Briggs: 'it's time to leave now, c***. It's time to f***ing leave.'
'Get the f*** out,' he said. 'Don't speak to my girlfriend like that, you f***wit.'
Briggs then stepped forward and twice punched Harper to the right side of his face, causing a painful eye injury which blurred his vision.
Harper then tried to usher Briggs out the gate and onto the driveway, until Briggs suddenly turned and began punching Harper repeatedly in the face.
Harper attempted to get away, but Briggs pressed him up against a car parked in the driveway and punched him three times and once more in the nose and eye.
According to the police facts, Harper suffered bruising to his arms, a black eye, a cut to his lip, and grazes across his arms and legs.
At that point, Ratcliff rushed down the driveway holding a 30cm kitchen knife.
Ratcliff punched Briggs, who then tackled Ratcliff and they began to wrestle and throw punches until Briggs had Ratcliff in a headlock 'and appeared to be overpowering him', which 'scared' Ratcliff.
The wild stabbing happened at the $4million family home of Matthew Harper (pictured)
Harper tried to separate Ratcliff and Briggs unsuccessfully, then Ratcliff 'repeatedly' stabbed Briggs, who said: 'What the f*** are you stabbing me with?'
Ratcliff stabbed Briggs 10 times in the upper arm, hand, abdomen, thigh, chest and buttocks, causing him to feel 'woozy' before he blacked out.
One of the stab wounds sliced through Briggs' left brachial artery, the major artery in the arm, sending blood spurting onto the driveway.
At 1.57am, Keir called Triple-0 and Briggs told the operator: 'I need help. I need someone to help me, I'm going to die.'
Keir screamed 'what have you done' at Ratcliff, who responded over and over, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' as he remained at the scene.
At 2.03am, police and paramedics arrived to find Briggs covered in blood, with more blood on the driveway and sandstone landscaping outside the Harper family home, along with a bloodied knife.
Harper and Briggs were treated at the scene before they were taken to Royal North Shore Hospital, with Briggs's ambulance stopping en route so he could be given blood.
Once in hospital, Briggs was immediately placed in the resuscitation bay.
Police and paramedics arrived to find Lazarus Briggs covered in a large amount of blood, and a bloodied knife at the bottom of the driveway (above)
Around 2.30am police arrested Ratcliff, who had sustained facial injuries, and he was taken to hospital under police guard before being charged.
He was accused of reckless wounding, wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray.
NSW Police originally said two men had been stabbed at the party. They would later drop charges against Ratcliff and indict him on a single count of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm.
Doctors noted 10 stab wounds and two lacerations on Briggs including a '12cm full thickness wound' to the stomach, 10cm and 6cm wounds to his abdomen and 8cm wounds to his left abdomen, left thigh and left buttock.
A doctor found the extent of the injury to Briggs' upper left arm 'was limb threatening', court documents state.
According to police, Ratcliff 'made full admissions' but insisted Briggs 'had been overly aggressive and volatile towards' him.
Ratcliff claimed Briggs had 'smacked' him in the head, called him a 'f***wit', made a sexual advance towards his girlfriend.
According to court documents, Ratcliff had grabbed the kitchen knife and told Briggs: 'You need to f***ing leave.'
Ratcliff told police he held the knife so that Briggs would not come at him, and he 'had no intention of stabbing' Briggs, although 'he admitted he could have left it behind'.
Ratcliff only stabbed Briggs 'while he was being attacked' by him, say the court documents, but he admitted 'he did not render any aid' to his victim afterwards.
He is due for release on July 22 next year.
