Man sentenced to 3+ years for near-fatal Soldiers Hill stabbing
Joshua Gala was sentenced on October 8 for stabbing a man who had been stalking his foster sister.
Joshua Gala was sentenced on October 8 for stabbing a man in Soldiers Hill who had been stalking his foster sister. The attack occurred on April 5, 2025, after the man made a false police report about gunfire at the property and then jumped the fence.
Gala and another man chased him into a neighbouring yard, where Gala stabbed him in the left chest with a knife. The stab wound was life-threatening and would have been fatal without rapid medical care.
Judge Stewart Bayles noted Gala's difficult childhood and history of drug use but said knife violence required a significant jail term. Gala received three years and three months in prison; he'll be eligible for parole in about three and a half months.
- 3 years 3 months in prison
- Sentence length
- April 5, 2025
- Stabbing date
- October 8, 2026
- Sentencing date
- 31 years old
- Gala's age
Why it mattersA court has confirmed that vigilante violence, even against a stalker, carries serious jail time and real legal consequences.
AustraliaVictorian residents facing stalking should report it to police rather than confront the stalker themselves, as courts will jail those who resort to violence.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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