“A complete rarity” and “two avoided homicides” was the way Tenterfield Shire Mayor Bronwyn Petrie described the outcome of the assault on two outer-Torrington residents on June 4.
Testament to their surname, emergency services were called to the property of Keith Blessing, 75, and his wife, 72 year-old Diane Blessing, on a property 65km south-west of Tenterfield, after they had been attacked by 34 year-old, Joshua Trethewey.
The Deepwater resident, unknown to the couple, was charged with the knife-wielding assault following the home invasion. It has been reported that Mr Trethewey's mother died the same day as the attack.
At the time of the printing of this edition, he remains in Armidale Hospital following a gunshot wound sustained from Mr Blessing, in their self-defence.
Ms Blessing sustained stab wounds to the chest, while her husband also suffered stab wounds, but to his abdomen, needing emergency surgery at Gold Coast University Hospital. At the time of our print run on June 8, we understand he had come out of an induced coma.
Mayor Bronwyn Petrie urgently met with community members on June 5, telling our newspaper that locals were shocked by the home invasion in a “normally serene and safe part of the world”.
She also described telecommunications as inadequate as Mr Blessing made more than one attempt to call for assistance.
Torrington is known for its tin-mining and has a population of less than 100 people.
Locals told reporters that normally, they leave their "houses unlocked".
The subsequent meeting of the Torrington Hall Committee was specifically to target greater safety and to encourage heightened security.
We will follow this story.
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