Real estate agent/Samurai sword attacker to face trial

PHOTO: Karl Howard. FILE

A real estate agent who attacked two women – including one with a samurai sword – during a drug-fuelled late-night incident will face trial after the Crown prosecution rejected a series of guilty pleas.

Karl Adon Howard, 46, faced the opening day of his NSW District Court trial on Thursday.

Real estate agent sung ‘I’m going to kill her’ before ‘punching his dating app lover and slashing her friend with a samurai sword

Howard made a hasty exit from Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Thursday morning, running past waiting media and into traffic as he tried to duck photographers and cameramen.

The former principal at Ray White Balmain has pleaded guilty to two charges – one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to one woman and one count of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to the second woman.

**Karl Howard made a hasty exit from Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw**

He has admitted to attacking two women in his Annandale home in the early hours of February 8, 2021, with the court previously being told he had ingested a cocktail of valium, Viagra, cocaine and alcohol.

The two women cannot be named for legal reasons.

Earlier this year, Howard also pleaded not guilty to one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder and another count of intending to cause grievous bodily harm.

The court was told on Thursday that the Crown prosecution did not accept the pleas in full satisfaction of the brief and Howard would now face trial.

Police have alleged Howard punched a woman in the head before hitting her 29-year-old friend with a samurai sword as she attempted to intervene.

A court was previously told Howard had mixed valium, Viagra and cocaine with alcohol on the night before the incident.

The court was told the issue at trial would be whether Howard had intent to harm the woman.