A master's student knifed by his cousin in a car park turned the weapon back on his attacker and left him with permanent injuries.
Sudanese expatriate Deng Barach Awooch, 32, was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday to a total 12 months' jail, to be served by way of an intensive correction order.
An intensive correction order is a prison term served in the community rather than behind bars.
Acting Justice David Robinson said Awooch, who is studying a Master of Finance degree, intentionally wounded his cousin after a fight broke out between them on December 30 last year.
The judge said the pair had been drinking at Awooch's apartment in Macquarie when Awooch's cousin asked him to pay for his taxi home - a request Awooch declined.
The cousin took Awooch's car keys and left the unit.
When Awooch followed him out into the car park, his cousin cut him on the arm with a knife and went to a nearby service station.
The judge said Awooch picked up the discarded weapon, followed his cousin to the service station and cut him back.
"The offender struck [the victim's] upper body with the knife by holding the knife above [his] head and striking downwards, whilst [the victim] placed his hands defensively in front of him," Acting Justice Robinson said.
"The knife cut a deep gash into [the victim's] left forearm."
The judge said the victim, who was hospitalised after the incident, was left with permanent scarring and limited movement in his finger and wrist.
He said while Awooch's attack had not been "unprovoked", his use of the knife made the crime serious.
"While at one level, understandable, it was certainly wrong for the offender to retaliate," Acting Justice Robinson said.
Awooch earlier told the court he struck his cousin because of the "frustrating" situation, and as a way to get revenge for being cut in the car park.
Nonetheless, he said his victim still didn't deserve the assault.
"I feel bad, regret it and I feel shameful," Awooch said.
Acting Justice Robinson said Awooch moved to Kenya as a child to "escape the horrors of life in Sudan", and migrated to Australia at the age of 16.
He noted the 32-year-old had a limited criminal history.
The judge ordered that Awooch comply with the 12-month intensive correction order, as well as complete 100 hours of community service in the same timeframe.
.jpg?w=600)
