New Wales paramedic Stephen Toger’s killer’s last words read out in court as he pleads not guilty by reason of mental illness

A man who stabbed paramedic Stephen Toger to death outside a McDonald’s appears to have been in a trance and may have been suffering a psychotic episode, a court heard.

Mr Toger was stabbed 55 times during a break during his shift in Campbelltown, in Sydney’s south-west, on the morning of April 14, 2023.

Jordan James Fineanganofo, 23, admitted stabbing the 29-year-old but pleaded not guilty to manslaughter due to a mental health disorder at the start of what is expected to be a six-week trial in the New Wales Supreme Court on Monday.

The court was told that prosecutors had agreed to approve a mental health verdict if Fineanganofo signed a statement of facts admitting the physical elements of the crime that were caught on CCTV.

Rather than continue with the trial, Judge David Davies adjourned the case until Friday to see if the mental health defense was in place.

Family members screamed in agony as the court was told the details, including how Fineanganofo didn’t say a word when he walked up and began stabbing Mr Toger in a horrific attack that lasted almost four minutes.

Fineanganofo lowered his head and covered his face as the details of the murder were read to the court.

Crown prosecutor Ken McKay said Mr Toger was unable to escape because he was trapped between the back of the ambulance and the attacker.

Mr Toger tried to push Fineanganofo away but failed, saying: “What are you doing?” Stop stabbing me buddy.

Despite efforts by several people to help, Fineanganofo continued to stab Mr Toger, walking away several times before returning to inflict further wounds as the NSW Ambulance worker lay on the ground.

Fineanganofo once said to Mr. Toger, “Excuse me.”

“I’m sorry mate, everything you think I did,” replied the badly wounded but still conscious Mr. Toger.

Bystander James Arthur ran over to try to help, kicking Fineanganofo and yelling for him to stop.

“You are going to kill him,” Mr Arthur said, the court was told.

Responding to another bystander’s plea, Fineanganofo reportedly said, “I’m going to jail anyway, I might as well kill him” or “I have to kill him because I have to go to jail.”

Finegananofo also pleaded not guilty on mental health grounds to a series of related charges relating to alleged incidents in nearby suburbs in the days leading up to Mr Toger’s murder.

These incidents included intimidating a woman pushing a pram with a five-month-old baby, threatening several men at a service station and swinging a knife at a man during a road rage incident, piercing his jacket but not his skin.

Fineanganofo’s lawyer AJ Karim said the defense’s position was largely identical to the prosecution’s, including that physical offenses were committed.

The prosecution and defense brought in psychiatrists who agreed that Fineanganofo could argue that he knew what he was doing but did not know it was wrong.

Forensic psychiatrist Kerry Eagle, who was involved with the prosecution, determined that Fineanganofo had a mental health disorder at the time of the crime and exhibited signs and symptoms of a psychotic illness consistent with a relapse of schizophrenia.

The court was told Dr Eagle took into account witness statements which described Fineanganofo as “trance-like, calm, mumbling, smiling and strange”.

Mr McKay said Fineanganofo had previously been charged with assaulting a neighbor in 2021, but instead of being prosecuted, he was committed to treatment for mental health issues.

Hospital records show that by then, Fineanganofo had been isolated in his family home for one year with minimal interactions with others, becoming increasingly paranoid about people, including his family.