Violent End to Luxury Pool Party
A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after a dispute over an omelette at an exclusive Sydney pool party escalated into a violent stabbing that left another guest fighting for his life. Jess William Ratcliff received a minimum sentence of one year and two months for recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm on 28-year-old Lazarus Briggs during the early hours of March 24, 2024.
The Night That Turned Deadly
The incident occurred at the $4 million North Turramurra home of projects executive David Harper and his wife Dianne, where a Saturday night gathering had been taking place around the pool. According to police facts presented in court, both Ratcliff and Briggs had been consuming cocaine and other prohibited drugs throughout the evening, with tensions between the two men becoming increasingly apparent as the night progressed.
At approximately 1:30am, the situation deteriorated rapidly when Ratcliff and another guest, Ayla Estacio, went into the kitchen to prepare an omelette. They shared use of a 30cm kitchen knife to chop ingredients before returning to the outdoor table. An argument about the food immediately erupted between Briggs and Ratcliff, with Briggs threatening: "If you want to be rude like that again, we can have it out here or I'm going to slap you."
Rapid Escalation to Violence
When both men stood up, the Harpers' son Matthew attempted to intervene, positioning himself between them. However, Briggs reached around Matthew and slapped Ratcliff hard across the face. Matthew Harper then told Briggs it was time to leave, which reportedly sent Briggs into what he later described to police as "a rage."
The confrontation intensified when Briggs made a derogatory comment about Matthew Harper's girlfriend, prompting Matthew to respond: "Don't speak to my girlfriend like that, you f***wit." Briggs then stepped forward and punched Matthew Harper twice in the face, causing a painful eye injury that blurred his vision.
As Matthew attempted to escort Briggs from the property, Briggs suddenly turned and began repeatedly punching him in the face, eventually pressing him against a car parked in the driveway and delivering several more blows. Matthew Harper sustained bruising to his arms, a black eye, a cut lip, and grazes across his arms and legs.
The Fatal Attack
At this critical moment, Ratcliff rushed down the driveway holding the 30cm kitchen knife that had been used earlier for food preparation. Ratcliff punched Briggs, and the two men began wrestling and exchanging blows until Briggs gained the upper hand, placing Ratcliff in a headlock that "appeared to be overpowering him" and left Ratcliff "scared."
Despite Matthew Harper's attempts to separate the fighting men, Ratcliff proceeded to stab Briggs ten times in various locations including his upper arm, hand, abdomen, thigh, chest, and buttocks. One of the wounds completely severed the major artery in Briggs's left bicep, creating a life-threatening situation that surgeons would later describe as "limb threatening."
Briggs reportedly asked "What the f*** are you stabbing me with?" before feeling "woozy" and losing consciousness. Blood from the arterial wound sprayed across the driveway as the severity of the situation became apparent.
Aftermath and Sentencing
Emergency services were called at 1:57am, with Briggs telling the Triple-0 operator: "I need help. I need someone to help me, I'm going to die." When paramedics and police arrived at 2:03am, they found Briggs covered in blood, with additional blood staining the driveway and sandstone landscaping. The bloodied knife was recovered at the bottom of the driveway.
Both Harper and Briggs received treatment at the scene before being transported to Royal North Shore Hospital. Briggs's condition was so critical that his ambulance had to stop en route so he could receive emergency blood transfusions. Upon arrival at hospital, he was immediately placed in the resuscitation bay.
Ratcliff was arrested around 2:30am while suffering from facial injuries and was taken to hospital under police guard before being formally charged. Although initially facing multiple charges including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, he ultimately pleaded guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm in the NSW District Court.
Last Thursday, Judge Craig Smith sentenced Ratcliff to a maximum term of two years, three months and six days, with a non-parole period of one year and two months. The judge granted a 15 percent discount on the sentence for Ratcliff's guilty plea. According to court documents, Ratcliff claimed he had "no intention of stabbing" Briggs and only acted while "being attacked" by him, though he admitted he "did not render any aid" to his victim afterwards.
Medical reports detailed the extensive injuries suffered by Briggs, including ten stab wounds and two lacerations. Particularly serious was a "12cm full thickness wound" to the stomach, along with 10cm and 6cm wounds to his abdomen and 8cm wounds to his left abdomen, left thigh and left buttock.
Ratcliff is scheduled for release on July 22, 2025, marking the end of a violent chapter that began with a seemingly trivial argument over food at what was supposed to be a relaxed poolside gathering in one of Sydney's most affluent suburbs.
