Steven Tougher death: Court hears details of horror carpark attack, man admits to stabbing paramedic 55 times

Emotional scenes have played out at a trial over the death of paramedic and young father Steven Tougher with distressing details of the killing outlined in court.

Mr Tougher was stabbed 55 times while on a meal break outside a McDonald’s in Campbelltown, in southwest Sydney, on April 14, 2023.

Jordan James Fineanganofo, 23, admitted stabbing the 29-year-old to death but pleaded not guilty to murder by way of mental health impairment in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday.

Pained cries rang out from family members as the court was told Fineanganofo approached Mr Tougher and without saying a word began fatally stabbing him.

“What are you doing? Stop stabbing me mate,” Mr Tougher said to him.

At one stage during the nearly four-minute attack, Fineanganofo told Mr Tougher, “Say you’re sorry to me.”

“I’m sorry, mate, whatever you think I’ve done,” a badly injured but still conscious Mr Tougher replied.

Fineanganofo hung his head and covered his face as the details of the attack were read to the court.

In outlining the evidence, crown prosecutor Ken McKay SC said Mr Tougher could not escape because he was trapped between the back of the ambulance and his attacker.

Despite the efforts of several members of the public to help, Fineanganofo continued to stab Mr Tougher, even after the paramedic had fallen to the ground.

Bystander James Arthur ran over in an attempt to help, kicking Fineanganofo and yelling at him to stop.

“You’re going to kill him,” Mr Arthur said, the court was told.

“F***ing leave him alone.”

Responding to the appeals of another bystander, Fineanganofo was reported either to have said, “I’m going to jail anyway, I may as well kill him” or “I got to kill him because I got to go to jail”.

Fineanganofo has also pleaded not guilty on mental health grounds to a string of related charges over alleged incidents in nearby suburbs in the lead-up to killing Mr Tougher.

These included allegations of threatening several people with a knife and assaulting at least one person.

Fineanganofo’s barrister AJ Karim said the position of the defence was largely identical to the prosecution, including that the physical acts of the offence had been committed.

Both the prosecution and defence had engaged psychiatrists who agreed it might be available for Fineanganofo to argue he knew what he was doing but did not know it was wrong.

Forensic psychiatrist Kerri Eagle, who was engaged by the prosecution, determined Fineanganofo had a mental health impairment at the time of the offending and displayed signs and symptoms of a psychotic illness consistent with a relapse of schizophrenia.

Mr McKay told the court Fineanganofo was charged after assaulting a neighbour in 2021, but instead of being prosecuted was involuntarily entered into treatment for mental health issues.

Hospital records stated at that time Fineanganofo had been isolating within his family home for one year with minimal interactions with others, becoming increasingly paranoid of others, including his family.

His mother reported he had been responding to auditory hallucinations and that she found a knife hidden in his room.

“The family was scared for their safety,” Mr McKay quoted the record as saying.

The case has been adjourned for a decision on the mental health verdict to be delivered by Justice David Davies on Friday.

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