The Williamson* family say their experience of being involved in one of Meagan’s* violent incidents has had a lasting impact on the whole family, speaking not only of the injury sustained but the fear they feel in the aftermath.
The family have spoken with Insight in regards to the telling of Meagan’s story in the program’s two episodes inside Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre, Lockdown (Parts 1 and 2).
When asked by Jenny Brockie if Meagan thinks of herself as a violent person, she responds, “I never used to but now, yes, I don't have a choice but to think yes. In one whole year I've committed three violent acts and the first two not so far apart, so yeah.”
The first of those violent acts was a stabbing, where one man was left with substantial injuries to his arm. Meagan claimed the incident was initially prompted by some people cyber-bullying her son, but the Williamson family describe the catalyst as “the exact opposite.” “Her son was never harassed, it was our family who were harassed,” the Williamson family state adamantly.
They became acquainted with Meagan’s family when one of their children started a high school romance with a teenage relation of Meagan.
When the relationship ended, they claim a period of bullying started. The Williamson family started receiving abusive text messages from an unknown number. At first, angry messages were sent back and forth. In a bid to sort out the problem, one of the adult members of the Williamson family took the phone and suggested they all meet up to resolve the issue. They were ultimately invited to the address of Meagan’s mother.
When they arrived, the Williamson family say there were several teens present, holding baseball bats and the like. Tensions escalated between the two parties, though the *Williamson family claim, “we didn’t throw any punches.” Suddenly they saw Meagan, holding a knife, coming towards them. The oldest member of the family ended up with severed tendons in his arm, requiring surgery.
Following investigations, Meagan was charged and later convicted of reckless wounding.
“It’s still horrendous to this day,” the Williamson family say of the experience. The man stabbed told Insight, “It didn’t hurt the moment I was stabbed, but after the surgery it hurt like hell.”He added that the injury caused him to have three months off work, putting a significant financial strain on the family.
While they admit to sending strongly-worded messages and confronting the situation head-on, they say they had no expectation that the argument would become physical, and even less anticipation of the impact this would have on them. “It’s changed everything. I don’t like to let the rest of my family out of my sight. If I haven’t heard from them for a few hours I get worried,” one member of the family told Insight. The Williamson family say they had never been involved in an incident like this, and, “it will have a lifetime impact on us."
*Names have been changed
