General News
14 July, 2023
‘Erica saved my life’
A CAIRNS North support worker saved a teenager’s life after a Manunda man allegedly attacked the pair on a morning stroll on the Esplanade.
Support worker Erica Siepker and 17-year-old Cody Newman are still recovering from the shock of the incident when a 52-year-old Manunda man allegedly followed and attacked them with a pair of scissors, stabbing the young man on the right shoulder. They didn’t know the man.
Ms Siepker, who had only been working with the Newmans for a month, has been helping Mr Newman overcome social anxiety. This was their first outing together on Tuesday, June 27.
“At first, we didn’t think he was talking to us,” Ms Siepker said.
“We were going for a walk on the Esplanade, and we walked past a guy who must’ve thought I said something to him because he yelled at us, but neither of us assumed he was talking to us,” she said.
“When we made it to the boardwalk, he was still yelling and had followed us. He had a pair of scissors, and he stabbed Cody and then came for me. I threw myself back to avoid getting stabbed.
“The first thing I saw was Cody getting stabbed in the shoulder, so my thought was ‘I don’t want this to be an overly traumatic experience for Cody’.”
“So I tried to calm down, and I said to him: ‘Cody, go’.”
Ms Siepker pushed Mr Newman out of the way, and the man fled.
A crowd of 20-30 witnesses approached the shocked pair and told them to go to the hospital and contact the police immediately. Less than an hour after the attack, the police apprehended the alleged attacker.
Mr Newman, who struggles with social anxiety, has been significantly affected by the alleged attack, which has led him to feel unsafe going out.
“Erica helps me find a reason to get out into the community and getting me comfortable with that,” he said.
“That day when the man was in my view, I thought he had just grabbed me or pushed me. I didn’t feel the stab, Erica pushed me out of the way, and when I turned, she had fallen to the ground. I didn’t even know he was addressing us until he stabbed me. I’ve always been very anxious going outside, and this was my first outing with Erica, and now just walking around, I see everyone as a possible threat.
“I feel like I have to create an escape plan which makes me even more uncomfortable than before.”
Mr Newman’s mother, Emma Newman, said the event had completely changed her perspective on safety in the CBD. “I was at home when Cody phoned me and asked if I could meet him at the hospital. He said he had been stabbed. It’s the kind of call you never want to receive as a parent,” she said.
“This has changed my perception of safety in the CBD. I don’t have as much faith in the safety of the Esplanade.
“Erica did an amazing job protecting Cody, so I want to thank Erica for looking after our son.”
Despite the trauma, Mr Newman maintains a positive mindset for the future. “I don’t want this to stop all the progress I’ve made in the past couple of months. I don’t want all of that to be removed. I just want this to be a learning experience,” he said.
According to police, about 11.20am on June 27, a Manunda man, 52, was arrested and charged with one count each of wounding and common assault. His bail was denied at the Cairns Magistrates Court on June 28 and he was remanded until July 28.
