Perth Architect Exonerated in Knife Threat Allegation After Magistrate Questions Neighbour's Credibility
A Perth architect has been cleared of accusations that she threatened her elderly neighbour with a 'Crocodile Dundee'-style knife, after a magistrate ruled the complainant was not a credible witness and had significantly exaggerated her claims.
Courtroom Drama and Rejected Testimony
Louise St John Kennedy, 74, walked free from Perth Magistrates Court after Magistrate Lynette Dias rejected paediatric rheumatologist Prudence Manners' account of a heated confrontation in 2024. The altercation stemmed from a long-running parking dispute at their affluent Claremont strata complex, where both women reside in $2 million homes.
In delivering her decisive ruling, Magistrate Dias stated that Dr Manners, 81, was neither reliable nor honest in her testimony. She found that the elderly doctor had repeatedly altered her evidence during proceedings, including changing the alleged length of the incident and the claimed size of the knife, which she described as measuring 40cm to 45cm. These inconsistencies fundamentally undermined her credibility as a witness.
Evidence Contradicts Allegations
The magistrate revealed that metadata from Ms Kennedy's mobile phone proved the confrontation could not have lasted as long as Dr Manners had alleged. This technical evidence played a crucial role in challenging the neighbour's version of events.
Magistrate Dias also expressed strong criticism of courtroom footage that showed Dr Manners' daughter making hand signals to her mother while she was testifying on the stand. She described this behaviour as 'unsatisfactory, and that's an understatement,' further questioning the integrity of the testimony presented.
Text Messages Reveal Escalating Tensions
The magistrate described text messages sent by Dr Manners to her neighbour as 'gaslighting' and found that the exasperated architect had been 'provoked' during what she called a 'final straw' moment. Ultimately, Magistrate Dias accepted there was no evidence that Ms Kennedy had actually used a knife during the altercation.
The case centred on a heated argument in May 2024, which was captured on camera by another neighbour. The footage showed Ms Kennedy yelling 'move your car you f****** dumb bitch' at Dr Manners outside their luxury properties, but did not show any weapon being brandished.
Contrasting Accounts of the Confrontation
Dr Manners had told the court that Ms Kennedy brandished 'the largest knife I'd ever seen in my life' and spent '10 to 15 minutes slashing and swooshing' it within centimetres of her body. She claimed the architect had called her 'a f****** dumb arsehole' and grabbed her by the neck during the incident. 'I thought it was going to be my last experience on this earth,' she told an earlier hearing.
Ms Kennedy firmly denied holding any knife during the confrontation, stating she instead had her phone and an angle-finder ruler in her hands at the time. She admitted to yelling profanities but explained she had momentarily lost control only after Dr Manners allegedly shouted at her, 'hope the dog dies, Louise.'
Background of Parking Dispute
The confrontation followed months of escalating hostility over parking rules at the shared driveway of their strata complex. Ms Kennedy had originally designed the development before partially selling it off and creating by-laws that included a strict no-parking zone in front of the garages.
Court-tendered text messages revealed that Dr Manners had repeatedly parked in the prohibited area from early 2024, blocking Ms Kennedy's car despite multiple warnings from both her neighbour and the strata manager. By March, after five more parking incidents, Ms Kennedy attempted to smooth relations, but the problematic pattern continued unabated.
Tensions escalated further when Ms Kennedy refused the doctor's offer to show her how to 'back her vehicle out' around the illegally parked car. In the days before the confrontation, Ms Kennedy sent a final warning text message that read: 'Prue, after numerous polite requests for you to not park in the signed No Parking body corp area I'm again blocked in by your thoughtless parking. Are you completely stupid or just incredibly thoughtless or both.'
Aftermath and Ongoing Legal Matters
Outside the courtroom, Ms Kennedy expressed relief at the magistrate's decision. 'I was always confident of my side of the story and that justice would be done once that came out, and it was,' she told reporters. 'We've all been through a difficult process, Dr Manners, her family, and I hope we've got it in our hearts that we can live together peacefully now.'
However, Ms Kennedy still faces a separate charge of breaching a restraining order after allegedly threatening to run over Dr Manners in September last year. She has pleaded not guilty to this additional allegation and told media she hopes it will be dropped at her next court appearance scheduled for March.
The case highlights how neighbourhood disputes can escalate dramatically, with both parties presenting radically different accounts of events. The magistrate's careful examination of evidence, including text messages, phone metadata, and courtroom behaviour, proved decisive in determining the truth of what actually occurred during that fateful confrontation in Claremont.
