A father and son have admitted to their roles in a bloody screwdriver stabbing at Cliftleigh last year that left a one-legged man in intensive care.
Anthony Maybury, now 68, and his son Bradley Maybury, 31, were expected to face a trial in Newcastle District Court in February, but they were re-arraigned in the super callover list on Thursday and both pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
Bradley, who was once charged with attempted murder, pleaded guilty to reckless wounding over the stabbing of Toby Bird at a unit in Shalistan Street at Cliftleigh in the early hours of March 5, 2021.
While his father pleaded guilty to common assault for punching Mr Bird in the head while he wrestled with his son in the garage of his unit.
After pleading guilty the DPP withdrew more serious charges against the pair and Bradley was granted conditional bail after spending the last 21 months behind bars.
The pair will be sentenced in February and are not looking at spending any more time behind bars.
According to an agreed statement of facts, the bloody screwdriver fight has some connection to the death of Anthony Maybury Jnr, Tony's son and Bradley's younger brother.
Anthony Maybury's body was found in bushland at Wakefield in April, 2020, and the NSW State Coroner later found the cause of death was inconclusive.
Bradley contacted Mr Bird in March last year and invited him over to his house, offering him cocaine, cash and a memorial picture of his brother.
But when he got to the house, an argument and "scuffle" broke out in the garage and the pair stabbed each other with screwdrivers.
They were wrestling when Tony came in and punched Mr Bird in the head.
Mr Bird, who lost his right leg in a motor vehicle accident in 2012, managed to stumble outside and get to a waiting car. He was driven to Maitland Hospital with stab wounds to his back and behind his left ear. He was later taken to John Hunter Hospital and the intensive care unit and remained in hospital for five days.
Bradley was also taken to John Hunter Hospital with three stab wounds to his chest.
The Mayburys were arrested two weeks later and police found two Phillips head screwdrivers on the garage floor, one with DNA matching Mr Bird and one with DNA matching Bradley Maybury.
Tony Maybury spent months behind bars before he was granted NSW Supreme Court bail in July last year as prosecutors reduced the charges against him.
