A MOTHER-OF-TWO who stabbed her former husband near a busy playground has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Michelle Allison Fernandez, 43, took a knife to Shelly foreshore in October 2015 and used it to stab Mark Fernandez at least two times during a handover of one of their children.

The former nurse pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent but she was convicted of the charge after a five-day trial in January.

She still maintains she did not bring the knife to the park and is not guilty.

District Court Judge Michael Bowden acknowledged Fernandez was an intelligent and hard working woman but said the attack was too serious for him to consider a suspended jail term.

“As you have been affected, so has the victim,” he said.

“It was traumatic, it was a brutal attack, it occurred at a public park in essence in the middle of the day.”

Judge Bowden found Fernandez took the knife to the park but did not form the intent to stab her ex until shortly before she lunged at him.

Mr Fernandez was attacked after he put their daughter in or next to his car and he was left with a 15cm wound that lacerated his bowel and a 10cm cut to his chest.

He put his hand around the knife after he was stabbed, seriously injuring his hand.

Mr Fernandez needed 105 stitches to his chest and abdomen and 138 stitches on other body parts.

He spent four months in a wheelchair and now says he has post-traumatic stress disorder.

Defence lawyer Tom Percy questioned the long-term impacts of the attack that Mr Fernandez said he suffered from when he wrote his victim impact statement.

He said Mr Fernandez was regularly spotted at restaurants and football matches and did not appear to be living with a physical disability.

Mr Percy told the court it was “unfortunate in the extreme” that the incident happened in the vicinity of children.





He described Fernandez as an exemplary person and a good mother.

“She has spent a good portion of her life saving lives instead of endangering them,” Mr Percy said.

“She does have a very good record, reputation and history of service to the community.

“The consequences are something that she will never escape. It will be with her forever.”

Judge Bowden was handed 63 character references from people who know Fernandez ahead of the sentencing hearing.

All of the reference writers described her as a genuine, caring, trustworthy, dedicated and non-violent person who was an excellent mother.

Fernandez’s supporters filled the public gallery of the court room and her family members broke down and cried when she was sentenced.

Outside court, a relative of Fernandez said she was an innocent woman.

Fernandez’s sentence was been backdated to January and she will be eligible for parole after spending 3½ years behind bars.