‘Hell of a fight’: Sister’s update after waitress, 20, stabbed at Brisbane club
A woman stabbed 15 times in the head at a Brisbane league club has spoken of her horror during the alleged attack by a colleague who was sacked hours earlier for inappropriate behaviour.
Zoe Samson-Wood, 20, was allegedly stabbed 15 times by her former colleague while working as a waitress at the Easts Leagues Club in Coorparoo at around 5.15pm on February 12.
The 20-year-old was discharged from Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he was treated for a 10cm cut on his head, a 10cm cut on his wrist and multiple defensive wounds.
Former colleague Cameron William Leslie Clark, 33, allegedly entered the league club at around 5.10pm armed with a large knife and confronted the waiter in the corridor.
He allegedly stabbed a 61-year-old chef in the stomach when he tried to defend himself after stabbing Ms Samson-Wood several times.
Mr Clark then allegedly chased the waiter into the club’s dining area before stabbing him again.
Eight men sitting in the club allegedly restrained Mr Clark until police arrived.
Mr Clark has since been charged with attempted murder, unlawful pursuit, unlawful wounding, acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm or spread serious disease, and being armed with intent to create fear.
Ms Samson-Wood’s sister Ruby said in a social media post that the waitress was taken to hospital after “putting up a hard fight” against her alleged attacker.
He said the attack led to his sister requiring extensive reconstructive surgery for “nerve damage”.
She thanked patrons and staff who helped her sister during the alleged attack.
“…my heart goes out to all of you, especially the man who saved her life and was stabbed in the stomach as a result,” Ruby wrote online.
“Thank you. Thank you to everyone who helped, you saved Zoe’s life even if it gave her an extra millisecond to escape.”
Ruby said her sister was brave and strong enough to survive the alleged attack.
“I share her story not to fear traffickers or seek mercy, but to shed light on how brave and strong Zoe was to break free from this situation and raise awareness of violence against women,” she said.
“I am here for every woman who is made to feel powerless, especially in the workplace.”
About three hours before the alleged assault, Mr Clark had been suspended from his job at the club for inappropriate behaviour.
“What I would say is unwanted and unwanted attention that caused her distress,” Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham told reporters on Friday.
He said Mr Clark was the subject of an internal investigation into his conduct.
“In addition, he was informed that he had been suspended from the workplace due to his conduct… and this was notified to him yesterday (Thursday) at 2pm,” he said.
“Despite this, he was removed from the workplace he attended at 17.10.”
Inspector Massingham described the scene as a “confrontation” and the incident was “resolved very quickly”.
“Although the condition of the injured this morning is serious, we are thankful that their injuries are not life-threatening,” he said.
“We also commend the brave actions of those who put themselves in danger to restrain the criminal.”
In a social media post, Easts Leagues Club thanked staff and patrons for their actions during the alleged attack.
“We want to recognize the courage and compassion our team, members, and community have shown following last night’s incident,” the post said.
“Our security processes are robust and we want to make sure our venue is safe. We are a members’ club and we are here for our community.”
