A woman has been found guilty of wounding with intent after attacking a retired teacher with a meat cleaver when he asked her to leave his home.
Veyella Peters, in her early 30s, was convicted in a judge-only trial over the late-night assault on 28 November 2023. The victim, a man in his 60s, suffered deep cuts to his neck and face.
A doctor told the court the wounds were about 3cm deep and would have required “severe force”.
The court heard the pair met on a bus and later began an intimate relationship, after which Peters moved into his home. Tensions rose when the man secured a job at a Christian school and reminded her she would need to move out. When she did not leave, he removed the door to her room.
He told the court he awoke to find Peters on top of him before realising he was bleeding. During the struggle, he suffered further injuries. He said Peters refused to let him drive to hospital and falsely claimed she had called emergency services.
Peters gave a conflicting account, alleging the man had once been her schoolteacher and had behaved inappropriately. She said she acted in self-defence after returning home to find her bedroom door forced open.
The judge found the victim to be a credible witness and rejected Peters’ claim of self-defence, noting inconsistencies in her account.
Peters will be sentenced on 30 January 2025.
