Seta Ratucadre: Man jailed for six years over violent McDonald's knife attack on girlfriend

A knife-wielding man who threatened to kill his girlfriend before violently assaulting her in a fast-food restaurant has been sentenced to six years behind bars.

Seta Ratucadre, 38, was jailed on Friday over the attack that injured the head, neck, arms and legs of the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at the McDonald’s restaurant in Minchinbury early on January 15, 2023.

Ratucadre faced charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, breaching an apprehended violence order, and stalking arising out of the rampage in western Sydney.

Delivering a sentence on Friday, District Court Judge Andrew Colefax said the domestic violence attack, which involved the offender brandishing a 20cm knife, was not spontaneous or opportunistic.

“Rather it’s indicative of a level of premeditation,” Judge Colefax said.

The court was told Fiji-born Ratucadre set upon on the victim after breaching an AVO the prior day by phoning her and threatening to “slit” her throat, before making more death threats at the McDonald’s.

“You said to her ‘I want to slit your throat, shut the f*** up, I want to slit your throat’,” Judge Colefax told Ratucadre,.

The court was told Ratucadre arrived at the restaurant smelling of alcohol. He followed the woman inside, kicked and punched her before dragging her by the hair into a glass door, causing hair to be pulled out and a scalp laceration.

The woman grabbed the knife blade, causing deep cuts to her hands that needed surgery. They would likely never regain full function, the judge said.

After the attack, Ratucadre fled in the woman’s car, while the victim asked to be locked inside the McDonald’s fearing his return.

The judge pointed to the “sharp contrast” in the pair’s physiques, with Ratucadre weighing about 120kg and being 190cm tall, while the victim was “relatively diminutive”.

The judge also took into account Ratucadre’s “victim blaming”, his “disturbing lack of insight” into the offending, and his extremely guarded prospects of rehabilitation.

The attack had left a profound physical and psychological impact on the victim, a single mother raising two children, Judge Colefax said.

Ratucadre had used cannabis, heroin, cocaine, ice and alcohol since turning to drugs at age 13 after his father’s death, the court was told.

A psychologist, during the court proceedings, had diagnosed Ratucadre with substance abuse, anxiety and depression disorders.

Ratucadre appeared via audio-visual link from prison sporting a shaved head and long beard. He showed little emotion during the sentencing.

With time served, Ratucadre will be eligible for parole on July 15 2027.

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