52-Year-Old Mum With PTSD Stabs Drug Addict Son, Escapes Prison Time

Any parent knows how hard it is to deal with a son addicted to drugs. But in the case of 56-year-old Samantha Palmer, there are limits.

A victim of constant threats, intimidation and assaults, the 56-year-old mother ended up stabbing his son in the back with a butcher’s knife at their lavish mansion in Australia last year.

Palmer reportedly almost killed her son because of the attack that happened in Bellevue Hill, New South Wales. However, a judge understood that it was a result of mental illness and a family crisis.

Palmer avoided jail time on Thursday, Sept. 9 and was instead given a 17-month intensive correction order. This was the result after she pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless wounding.

However, a two-year AVO will prevent Palmer from seeing her son for now. Should both plan to meet again in the future, both would need to undergo family counseling.

“A family who were coping with the impacts of ice addiction and were trying to manage a very difficult situation with someone they love,” Magistrate Erin Kennedy told Downing Centre Local Court. “What the facts discloses is a loss of control, a loss of control of a parent.”

It was also added that Palmer was drunk at the time of the incident. She turned to alcohol to drown her demons although it would have been better if she sought help to manage her drug-addicted son.

Details on how the stabbing happened remain unknown. However, it appears that the mum has been dealing with the issue for years according to Palmer’s defense Grand Brady SC.

“It’s been punctured by far more significant matters – including threats, including intimidation, including psychotic episodes and unfortunately including assault,” he stated.

Palmer hardly recalled the incident and police claim that she gave differing versions of the incident to psychologists.

Aside from the sanctions handed to her, Palmer will also have to serve 25 hours of community service and continue her mental health treatment.