Mathew Andersen: Broome man sentenced over racist chainsaw attack that left neighbour needing surgery

A Broome man who attacked his neighbour with a chainsaw after yelling racist slurs at him, and left him requiring surgery has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Facing court for sentencing on Monday, Mathew Andersen, 30, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for attacking his 36-year-old neighbour, Eric Lockyer with a chainsaw. The charges — being armed in a way that may cause fear and grievous bodily harm with intent to maim, disfigure or disable — arose from a neighbourly dispute on September 5 2021 at approximately 6,30pm on Roe Place in Cable Beach. The court heard Andersen was yelling racial slurs at his neighbours while drunk on his property when he was confronted by Mr Lockyer, who challenged him to a physical altercation. Andersen accepted the challenge and then grabbed a hunting knife from his home which he used to threaten Mr Lockyer. Mr Lockyer then threw a bottle at Andersen which missed, before Mr Lockyer proceeded to grab another bottle which he then struck Andersen over the head with. Andersen retreated inside his home and into the back garden where Mr Lockyer threw a kitchen knife at Andersen over the fence adjoining both properties. Andersen then grabbed a chainsaw from his property, started it up and chased the victim up the street while holding the chainsaw. The victim grabbed a steel chair with which he used to defend himself but Andersen cut through it with the chainsaw — before cutting the victim across the hand. Andersen then dropped the chainsaw before tussling with the victim, receiving a broken eye socket during the tussle believed to have been from punches. Andersen then retreated to his home. On September 27, 2021 Andersen was arrested and remanded in custody for the assault. Judge Christopher Stevenson said Andersen had escalated the situation by going into his house and retrieving weapons. “What occurred this evening can be laid squarely at the feet of Mr Andersen,” he said. “The community is appalled by violence....fortunately for you, you didn’t manage to cause more bodily harm.” Judge Stevenson flagged the use of racial slurs during the assault as an aggravating factor but accepted Andersen’s “disadvantaged” childhood as a mitigating factor. Andersen’s sentence was backdated to the date of his arrest on September 27 and he will be considered for parole after completing half of his two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.