A mother will walk free after accusations she stabbed her husband to death were withdrawn when prosecutors conceded there were no “reasonable prospects of conviction”.
Narelle Atkinson had been expected to face trial this week for the manslaughter of Darren Still, 49, in June 2021. Ms Atkinson had pleaded not guilty.
But in the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday, the case was formally withdrawn after the Director of Public Prosecutions filed a notice of discontinuance.
At an earlier hearing in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court last year, prosecutors had alleged Ms Atkinson fatally stabbed him at their Shepparton home after an argument where he accused her of being a “slut”.
The court was told Mr Still had a long history of domestic violence towards Ms Atkinson and their children.
Ms Atkinson’s barrister, Robert Richter KC, argued Mr Still died after “advancing” onto his client and “walking into a large filleting knife”.
Emergency services attended the home in the early hours of the morning on June 2, and Mr Still was taken to hospital where he later died.
An Office of Public Prosecutions spokesman said after “careful consideration” a decision was made to discontinue the prosecution.
“Decisions regarding whether to discontinue a prosecution are never made lightly,” he said.
“After careful consideration, a decision was made that there were not reasonable prospects of conviction in relation to the charge of manslaughter.”
Ms Atkinson, who now lives in Queensland, had returned to Victoria for the trial.
