A Newnham man hid behind a fence before dashing onto George Town Road to stab a man twice in the back, the Supreme Court in Launceston heard.
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Keiran Scott Mitchell, 18, pleaded guilty to a count of wounding on December 17 last year.
Crown prosecutor Claire Darvell said Mitchell was at home with associates about 7.25pm when he saw a man he knew from school park across the road and visit the house next door.
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"The complainant got out and walked to the neighbouring property while the defendant watched from the front yard," she said.
Mitchell ducked behind a fence.
When the man emerged after five minutes, Mitchell ran out and chased him onto the road and stabbed him twice to the back.
He followed the man to his car, attempted to open the door, kicked the car and stabbed the rear window as he drove away.
CCTV footage showed Mitchell run down the road wearing a face mask. The knife was never found.
The victim returned to the scene about 20 minutes later to retrieve his phone.
His shirt was soaked in blood and he was bleeding freely from two wounds and was taken to the Launceston General Hospital.
Ms Darvell said Mitchell fled to his brother's house and jumped a side fence when police pulled up outside.
In an interview with police Mitchell said he had been at his brother's house and that he had not stabbed anyone.
"He said he ran from police because that is what he always does," Ms Darvell said.
The victim's wounds were between two-centimetres wide and four-centimetres deep.
The victim declined to make a victim impact statement.
She said aggravating features of the crime were that it was committed in public on a busy road with traffic increasing the chances of an accident, that he was in company and that he had attempted to open the car door to continue the assault.
Defence counsel Alex Pemberton said Mitchell had pleaded guilty at an early stage which would save the complainant and witnesses to the trauma of a trial.
He urged Justice Michael Brett to err on the side of rehabilitation in sentencing. Mitchell had been in custody for 76 days since the crime.
"What concerns me about this is that it seems pre-meditated, calculated and sustained," Justice Brett said.
Mr Pemberton said Mitchell wasn't aware that the complainant was coming to the address.
"He's got a knife who knows where that came from and it's never been found," Justice Brett said.
"My thoughts are that this is a very serious crime with all aspects of aggravation applying."
He postponed sentencing until March 16 at 4.15pm.
Mr Pemberton said it was Mitchell's preference to be sentenced by video from Risdon Prison.
"I'm sure it is but he is going to appear in court," Justice Brett said.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
