Hunting knife-wielding man accused of stabbing driver during two alleged car jackings

William James Bowman, 21, of Oxley, has been refused bail over two alleged attempted robberies. Photo: Albert McKnight.

A young man is accused of trying to carjack two drivers on the same night, during which he also allegedly stabbed one in the chest with a hunting knife.

Police found 21-year-old William James Bowman lying under a tree shortly after the alleged incidents on Tuesday night (19 July) and charged him with two counts of attempted aggravated robbery, as well as single counts of intentionally wounding another person and possessing a knife in a public place.

Court documents say an Uber driver was parked near the Abode Hotel in Phillip that night with a female passenger in his back seat when Bowman allegedly jumped inside, yelled at him and demanded the keys to his car.

Bowman allegedly tried to punch the driver, who got out of the car and ran down the street while chased by the knife-wielding Bowman.

Around this time, the second driver parked his car near Phillip’s Hellenic Club.

Bowman allegedly opened the driver’s door while holding the knife and, despite the driver pleading that he hadn’t done anything wrong, the two got into a fight during which Bowman allegedly stabbed him in his pectoral causing a laceration and bleeding.

The documents say the driver kicked Bowman away from his car and he fled. Police arrived and shortly afterwards found Bowman lying down next to a tree.

“Police observed the defendant to initially be unresponsive, however, [he] woke up a short time later,” the documents say.

The officers thought he was “heavily affected by an intoxicating liquor” and arrested him.

Paramedics had also arrived and took the second driver to the Canberra Hospital where doctors found he had a one-centimetre shallow stab wound to his pectoral.

Bowman, a heavily tattooed young man with a man-bun-style haircut, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday (20 July). He applied for bail, which was opposed by the prosecution.

His lawyer said he had stable accommodation with his mother in Oxley.

Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker said he faced allegations of “extremely serious” offences and was already on a suspended jail sentence.

She refused bail over concerns about the risks of reoffending and adjourned the matter to 10 August. No pleas were entered.