The moment Karl Howard was arrested. Photo / NCA NewsWire
Shocking footage has shown the moment a high-flying Sydney real estate agent’s coke binge came to a dramatic conclusion as he writhed and growled like an animal when placed in handcuffs after attacking two women.
Karl Howard, 46, is facing trial in the NSW District Court over a bloody incident at his Annandale home in February 2021.
The court has been told of the chilling moment the former principal at Ray White Balmain rained down a series of blows on one of the women with a samurai sword while the other woman ran from the home believing her friend had been killed.
‘One of you has to die’
The two women were at his home drinking when he began acting erratically in the early morning.
He told both of the women that he had taken valium and Viagra and was seen consuming large amounts of cocaine, the prosecution told the court.
According to the Crown prosecution, Howard began skipping around the room laughing and saying “one of you has to die” and “I have to f***ing kill her”.
When the first woman attempted to leave by ordering an Uber, Howard grabbed her by the throat and attempted to kiss her, the prosecution told the court.
Panic and fear
The prosecution told the court that Howard punched one of the women to the ground and elbowed the second woman in the head before unsheathing a 1.5m samurai sword.
“Karl flicked off the sleeve of the sword which made a distinctive sound which I can still hear in my head today,” the second woman said in a police statement tendered to the court.
“Karl lifted the sword above his shoulder height before quickly swinging the sword down onto [the other woman’s] body as [the other woman] screamed out ‘no’ in absolute panic and fear.”
Howard is alleged to have rained down three blows on the first woman as she tried to shield herself.
The second woman ran from the house to raise the alarm, fearing her friend was dead.
The prosecution told the court on Tuesday that the woman who was attacked with a samurai sword was too traumatised to give evidence during Howard’s trial.
Five to six grams a day
Howard has pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm relating to one woman and one count of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to the other.
He also pleaded not guilty to the more serious charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder and one count of intending to cause grievous bodily harm – both of those counts relate to the samurai sword attack.
The trial before Judge Antony Townsend has centred on whether Howard had the requisite intent in the midst of a drug psychosis.
In a report tendered to the court, Howard reported to a forensic psychiatrist that he had gone on a 15-day drug binge in the lead-up to the attack during which he consumed 80g of cocaine.
He reported to Dr Olav Nielssen that he had snorted five to six grams of cocaine per day.
A toxicology report, tendered to the court, found traces of alcohol, cocaine, valium and eight other drugs in his system.
Psychotic episode
After the incident, Howard fled his Ferris St home.
The court was on Thursday played CCTV that showed him jumping into the back of a ute in a nearby street and covering himself with a tarp in an effort to hide as a police car drives by.
He lies down in the back of the tray for about six minutes before staggering out and running off. He was arrested minutes later.
In confronting police bodycam footage taken about 5.30am, Howard can be seen writhing on the ground and growling like an animal at officers as he was arrested.
“Stop kicking,” one officer tells Howard after he was placed in handcuffs.
Another officer says Howard was “suffering a psychotic episode” and asked for an ambulance to be called.
In a bedside interview with police, Howard had grazes on his face and pins in his arm.
Howard’s trial will continue with closing submissions on Monday.