By Georgina Mitchell
A man who was injured in a stabbing in Sydney's north staggered up the street shouting for help before seeking refuge in a car dealership, witnesses said.
Police were called to the Pacific Highway at Artarmon around 10am on Tuesday, after reports of an "altercation" between two men.
A man, alleged to be the attacker, was shown on CCTV carrying an axe shortly before the stabbing.Credit: Nine News
It's alleged a 34-year-old man, from New Zealand, stabbed a 32-year-old French national in the chest with a knife. Police believe the men were known to each other.
Witness Ian Jobsz said he saw the injured man running and clutching his chest shortly afterwards.
Staff at Artarmon Mazda used gauze on the man's wounds before an ambulance arrived.Credit: Nine News
"I saw a guy running up the Pacific Highway holding his chest, screaming 'I've been stabbed, I've been stabbed'," Mr Jobsz told Seven News.
"He said 'I've been stabbed, the guy smashed my car with a tomahawk or an axe, and he stabbed me'."
Another witness, Jacqueline Qualtrough-Turner, said the man was bleeding profusely.
"He was conscious, he was talking, he was able to move," she said. "It didn't look lethal, but obviously he had a lot of blood."
Police allege the man smashed a car's window with his axe.Credit: Nine News
The injured man sought help at Artarmon Mazda, where staff helped to stem his bleeding with gauze from their office first aid kit.
Assistant sales manager Ian Wood said he looked up when he heard banging at the front window.
Police arrest a man alleged to have carried out the stabbing.Credit: Nine News
"That's when we saw a guy sort of stumbling, trying to get inside the showroom," he said. Drops of blood spattered the ground outside.
Mr Wood's colleagues said the injured man was "agitated" and it was hard to keep him sitting down as they helped him.
The 32-year-old was taken by ambulance to nearby Royal North Shore Hospital, where he remained in a stable condition on Tuesday night.
His alleged attacker was arrested at the scene and taken to Chatswood Police Station, where he was charged with malicious damage and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Police will allege he used an axe to damage windows of a car before he used a knife in the stabbing.
CCTV from a nearby motel showed a man, believed to be the alleged attacker, wandering through the car park holding an axe before the attack.
He was later shown returning on foot, still with the axe in his hand.
The arrested man has been refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday.