Manjimup man brandishing hunting knife during dispute hit with shovel by victim

A Manjimup man who brandished a hunting knife during a dispute about some allegedly stolen property from a mate was hit with a shovel by the victim during the ordeal. Trevor Keith Hebbermann appeared in Manjimup Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to possessing an article with the intent to cause fear during a July 27 incident. The court was told at 8.40am, Hebbermann got into a verbal argument with the occupant of a Manjimup property, with the dispute involving the personal property of one of Hebbermann’s friends. During the altercation, Hebbermann was holding a hunting knife and approached the victim, while a woman and a child who were also on the property watched on. The court was told the victim became frightened and hit the accused with a shovel, causing him to drop the hunting knife. A bystander had seen the man brandishing the weapon during the ordeal and had already reported the incident to police. Hebbermann said he pulled the knife out in self-defence, saying the occupant was “trying to assault” him, despite Hebbermann’s being there to “only . . . talk”, not fight. Magistrate Anthony Sullivan asked Hebbermann what his intent was in taking the knife to the confrontation in the first place. Hebbermann told him he “took the knife because (the victim) stole some property from (his) friend.” But the ordeal proved costly, with the man given a $850 fine. The hunting knife was also to be forfeited, and Hebbermann will need to pay $156 in court costs.