THE doctor who tried to kill a pharmacist in Port Lincoln, South Australia (PD 08 Nov) has been sentenced to 15 years in prison with a 10 year non-parole period.
Supreme Court Justice Ann Vanstone ruled that GP Brian Holder was guilty of attempted murder, after he attacked Kelly Akehurst at the Terry White pharmacy where she worked.
The court heard evidence that the 69-year-old had initially hired a private investigator in an attempt to discover the pharmacist's home address, after she notified the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency about Holder's prescribing of large quantities of benzodiazepines.
However he ended up driving to the pharmacy where he presented Akehurst with a bunch of flowers before pulling out a knife and attempting to stab her.
Vanstone said CCTV footage showed the attack was "clearly not a half-hearted assault".
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