A quiet rural community in northern New South Wales is reeling from a shocking early-morning violent incident that left a well-known retired couple critically injured, in what police have described as an unprovoked alleged home invasion. The attack unfolded just after 12:15 a.m. on Thursday at the Torrington property of 75-year-old Keith Blessing and his wife Dianne, who was stabbed in the chest during the assault. Keith suffered a deep slash wound across his stomach, but managed to place an emergency call to triple-zero after the initial attack before the alleged suspect attempted to re-enter the property.
Keith, a licensed firearms holder, made the decision to use his weapon to stop the alleged attacker, 34-year-old Joshua Dylan Trethewey, who was subsequently taken into custody at Armidale Hospital while receiving treatment for a non-fatal gunshot wound, with police stationed around the clock at his bedside.
Following the attack, the injured couple were airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital, where they remain in a critical but stable condition as they begin what their family describes as a long and arduous recovery journey. On Friday, the couple’s daughter Kathy Blessing spoke publicly on behalf of her family, thanking community members and local responders for the outpouring of support that has helped the family cope with the trauma.
“It has been comforting to know we have the support of the wider community. We’re very proud of our parents and their bravery. They’re recovering in the hospital here, getting excellent care. We have a long road ahead,” Kathy Blessing said in a prepared statement. She added that the entire family has been deeply traumatized by the incident, noting “no family should ever have to go through this,” and requested privacy moving forward after this, their only public comment.
Law enforcement has echoed the family’s praise for Keith Blessing’s quick action under extreme duress. Detective Superintendent Chris McKinnon told reporters Thursday that the 75-year-old’s self-defense response was “quite impressive” given the severity of his injuries. “He certainly did his best obviously under very difficult circumstances to defend himself and his partner,” McKinnon said.
Trethewey has been hit with two felony charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder. He appeared via video link before the Bail Division court on Thursday, where bail was refused, and he remains in police custody at Armidale Hospital while receiving ongoing medical care. Early investigative work has confirmed that Trethewey had no prior connection to the Blessing family, a detail that has amplified the shock of the attack for the tiny, close-knit Torrington community where the retired couple are widely known.