Source : Perth Now news
An elderly woman seriously injured in an alleged home invasion in northern NSW has broken her silence after the horrifying ordeal.
Di Blessing was stabbed in the chest while her husband Keith, 75, was slashed across the stomach before he called triple-zero after they were attacked in their home in Torrington, 65km southwest of Tenterfield, about 12.15am on Thursday.
Mr Blessing, a licensed firearms holder, later shot their alleged attacker, 34-year-old Joshua Dylan Trethewey, after he allegedly attempted to re-enter the property before police arrived.
The couple were then flown to Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Mrs Blessing, 72, said in a statement she had been discharged from hospital, while Mr Blessing remained in a stable condition and would continue to receive treatment.
“This horrific incident has left us shattered,” she said on Tuesday.
“I have been discharged from hospital, and I’ll be receiving ongoing outpatient care into the foreseeable future.
“Keith, I am relieved to say, has been transferred from ICU to a ward. He is in a stable condition and is receiving the very best comprehensive treatment for multiple stab wounds as well as post-operative care for internal organ damage.”
She also thanked first responders and their medical teams for making the recovery “so very much easier”, and extended her gratitude to her husband, family, and the wider community.
“I want to thank my husband, my hero. … Without him I believe I would not be alive today,” Mrs Blessing said.
“Our wonderful family … has stepped in, putting their lives on hold, to weave a strong and defensive web of support for us now and into the future.
“We have been overwhelmed, completely blown away and comforted by the messages and support of hundreds of people – the media, hospital staff, strangers – all rallying behind us.”
Mr Trethewey was taken to Armidale Hospital under police guard with a gunshot wound and was later charged with two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.
Speaking outside Gold Coast University Hospital on Friday, the couple’s daughter Kathy Blessing thanked supporters for their well wishes while they recovered in hospital.
“We’d like to thank everyone who has supported our family. It has been comforting to know we have the support of the wider community,” she said on Friday.
“This has been deeply traumatising to our family and no family should ever have to go through this.”
Initial investigations suggest Mr Trethewey is not known to Mr and Mrs Blessing.
