{
 "id": "018",
 "offence": "Manslaughter of an intimate partner",
 "jurisdiction": "Australia, New South Wales",
 "years": "2009 / 2010",
 "story": [
  "Both cases were heard by the Supreme Court of New South Wales. A man and a woman pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a partner who was stabbed (paras. 1, 3; paras. 1, 9).",
  "Floyd Leslie Dowley in 2007 attacked his partner Susan Knott, 44, with a serrated knife after taking drugs and while suffering from untreated mental illness. He then stole a car and confessed. He had a troubling record with several violent offences. Sentence: 11 years in custody, with a non-parole period of 7 years; for the car theft, 12 months, fully concurrent (paras. 1, 3, 16, 42).",
  "Jacqueline Barbara Doolan, almost 43, had been drinking with her partner Glenn Green, 49. After an argument she ran after him down the street with a kitchen knife and stabbed him once in the left side of the chest near the shoulder. The death was not intended. Sentence: 6 years, with a non-parole period of 3 years 9 months (paras. 3, 9, 22).",
  "The court found Dowley's killing brutal and committed with a knife; his culpability was substantially reduced by his abnormal mental state. The Crown pointed out that even with medication in custody there is no certainty the risk will not return after release. For Doolan the court took into account the spontaneity of the offence, genuine remorse, early willingness to plead guilty and that it was her first time in custody (paras. 35, 37, 38; para. 18)."
 ],
 "male": {
  "case": "R v Floyd Leslie DOWLEY",
  "citation": "R v Floyd Leslie DOWLEY [2009] NSWSC 722",
  "court": "Supreme Court of New South Wales",
  "date": "2009-07-30",
  "charge": "Manslaughter of his partner on the ground of substantial impairment (s 23A), and taking a car, deemed larceny",
  "outcome": "Pleaded guilty; sentenced to custody",
  "sentence": "11 years, non-parole period 7 years; for the car theft 12 months, fully concurrent",
  "facts": "Attacked his partner Susan Knott, 44, with a serrated knife after taking drugs and while suffering from untreated mental illness, then stole a car and confessed; the court found the killing brutal, took into account his troubling record, but also the substantial reduction in culpability from his abnormal mental state and a 15% discount for the guilty plea (paras. 1, 2, 3, 16, 35, 38, 42).",
  "source": "https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/549ff0673004262463c4f2a3"
 },
 "female": {
  "case": "R v DOOLAN",
  "citation": "R v DOOLAN [2010] NSWSC 615",
  "court": "Supreme Court of New South Wales",
  "date": "2010-06-07",
  "charge": "Manslaughter — unlawful and dangerous act; accepted in place of the murder charge",
  "outcome": "Pleaded guilty; sentenced to custody",
  "sentence": "6 years, non-parole period 3 years 9 months, balance of term 2 years 3 months",
  "facts": "She was drunk; after an argument she ran after her partner Glenn Green, 49, with a kitchen knife and stabbed him once in the left side of the chest near the shoulder; the offence was spontaneous, the death not intended; the court took into account genuine remorse, a 20% discount for the guilty plea, good prospects of rehabilitation and her first custody (paras. 1, 3, 9, 18, 22).",
  "source": "https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/54a004193004262463c93fea"
 },
 "law": [
  "Criminal Code s. 718.2(b)",
  "Charter s. 15",
  "Charter s. 28"
 ],
 "after": "",
 "added": "2026-10-17",
 "evidence": {
  "male": {
   "offender_name": {
    "value": "Floyd Leslie Dowley",
    "quote": "The offender, Floyd Leslie Dowley, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his partner",
    "para": "1"
   },
   "offence": {
    "value": "Manslaughter of partner Susan Knott, and deemed larceny of a motor vehicle",
    "quote": "pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his partner, Susan Knott, at Berkeley on 24 November 2007",
    "para": "1"
   },
   "criminal_code_sections": {
    "value": "Crimes Act 1900 s 23A (substantial impairment); Crimes Act 1900 s 154A(1) (deemed larceny of motor vehicle)",
    "quote": "The basis of the plea is substantial impairment by abnormality of mind: s 23A of the Crimes Act 1900.",
    "para": "1"
   },
   "plea": {
    "value": "Guilty to manslaughter",
    "quote": "has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his partner, Susan Knott",
    "para": "1"
   },
   "sentence": {
    "value": "Manslaughter: 11 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 7 years; deemed larceny of motor vehicle: 12 months, wholly concurrent",
    "quote": "and a balance of term of 4 years, commencing on 24 November 2014 and expiring on 23 November 2018",
    "para": "42"
   },
   "sentence_months": {
    "value": "132",
    "quote": "and a balance of term of 4 years, commencing on 24 November 2014 and expiring on 23 November 2018",
    "para": "42"
   },
   "crown_position": {
    "value": "Crown submitted that despite medication in custody, the risk could not be discounted on release, stressing general and personal deterrence",
    "quote": "the Crown prosecutor submitted, despite his compliance with a regime of medication while in custody, one could not be confident that that risk would not come home upon his release into the community.",
    "para": "37"
   },
   "victim": {
    "value": "Susan Knott (offender's partner)",
    "quote": "his partner, Susan Knott, at Berkeley on 24 November 2007",
    "para": "1"
   },
   "victim_age": {
    "value": "44",
    "quote": "and Ms Knott was 44",
    "para": "2"
   },
   "relationship": {
    "value": "Partner in a relationship of some years",
    "quote": "They had been in a relationship for some years.",
    "para": "2"
   },
   "criminal_record": {
    "value": "Disturbing criminal history with multiple violence offences, including assaults between 2001 and 2007",
    "quote": "The offender has a disturbing criminal history.",
    "para": "16"
   },
   "offender_age": {
    "value": "41",
    "quote": "At the time of the killing, the offender was 41 years old",
    "para": "2"
   },
   "key_facts": {
    "value": "Offender stabbed and slashed partner's throat with a serrated knife after drug use and untreated mental illness; he then stole a vehicle and made admissions",
    "quote": "the offender attacked Ms Knott with a serrated edged knife",
    "para": "3"
   },
   "aggravating": {
    "value": "Brutal, ferocious killing with a knife; disturbing violent criminal history; need for general deterrence",
    "quote": "This was a brutal killing, perpetrated by the use of a knife.",
    "para": "35"
   },
   "mitigating": {
    "value": "Substantial impairment from acute psychosis and abnormal mental state; guilty plea with 15% reduction; some insight and prospects of rehabilitation",
    "quote": "I am satisfied that the offender's culpability for the crime is significantly reduced by his abnormal mental state.",
    "para": "38"
   }
  },
  "female": {
   "offender_name": {
    "value": "Jacqueline Barbara DOOLAN",
    "quote": "Jacqueline Barbara DOOLAN - Offender",
    "para": ""
   },
   "offence": {
    "value": "Manslaughter (unlawful and dangerous act), accepted in discharge of an indictment for murder",
    "quote": "you pleaded guilty to manslaughter which the Crown has accepted in discharge of the indictment against you",
    "para": "1"
   },
   "plea": {
    "value": "Guilty",
    "quote": "you pleaded guilty to manslaughter",
    "para": "1"
   },
   "sentence": {
    "value": "Imprisonment: non parole period of three years and nine months, with a balance term of two years three months (total six years)",
    "quote": "imprisonment consisting of a non parole period of three years and nine months",
    "para": "22"
   },
   "sentence_months": {
    "value": "72",
    "quote": "with a balance term of two years three months to commence on 6 December 2012",
    "para": "22"
   },
   "victim": {
    "value": "Glenn Green",
    "quote": "the victim, Glenn Green, was aged 49",
    "para": "3"
   },
   "victim_age": {
    "value": "49",
    "quote": "the victim, Glenn Green, was aged 49",
    "para": "3"
   },
   "relationship": {
    "value": "Intimate partner; the offender and victim had a volatile relationship from about 2005",
    "quote": "You and Mr Green had commenced a relationship in round about 2005",
    "para": "5"
   },
   "criminal_record": {
    "value": "Prior convictions, including two for driving with the prescribed concentration of alcohol (1990 and 1992); not regarded as weighing against her",
    "quote": "You have some prior convictions which, although two convictions for driving with the prescribed concentration of alcohol in 1990 and 1992 tend to confirm your problems with alcohol",
    "para": "15"
   },
   "offender_age": {
    "value": "Nearly 43 at the time of the offence",
    "quote": "You were then aged nearly 43",
    "para": "3"
   },
   "key_facts": {
    "value": "Both parties intoxicated; after a heated exchange the offender chased the victim up the street holding a kitchen knife and stabbed him once in the chest near the shoulder; death was unintended",
    "quote": "with a downward thrust, stabbed Glenn Green once to the left side of his chest near his shoulder.",
    "para": "9"
   },
   "aggravating": {
    "value": "Use of a weapon (a knife)",
    "quote": "the offence involved the use of a weapon, namely the knife",
    "para": "18"
   },
   "mitigating": {
    "value": "Spontaneous and unplanned offence; genuine remorse; early and consistent willingness to plead guilty (20% discount); good prospects of rehabilitation; first time in custody",
    "quote": "the offence was spontaneous and wholly unplanned",
    "para": "18"
   }
  }
 }
}