A man tried to murder his long-term partner by repeatedly stabbing her with a kitchen knife in a ferocious assault which almost severed her spine.
Christopher Chandler's gravely injured victim managed to crawl out of their flat and was found in the communal area with the weapon still stuck in her back. The woman was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries and needed multiple blood transfusions due to the amount of blood she was losing.
Swansea Crown Court heard Chandler had stopped taking his prescribed schizophrenia medication in the weeks prior to the near-fatal attack, and the pair had stayed up the night before the incident taking amphetamine and drinking alcohol together.
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Craig Jones, prosecuting, said the incident took place on the afternoon of November 25 last year at the flat on Orchard Street in Swansea city centre where the couple then lived. He said there was evidence that in the weeks leading up to the assault Chandler had been "verbally aggressive and controlling" towards his partner to the point where she was receiving help from various agencies with a view to her getting her own accommodation - however the court heard that matters had seemly improved between the pair just prior to the attack, and there was talk of the couple getting married. The court heard the pair did not go to bed on the night of November 24 but stayed up taking amphetamine, and continued to consume the drug and drink alcohol through the next morning and into the afternoon.
Mr Jones said as the day progressed Chandler became increasingly angry at the amount of time his partner was spending accessing the internet on his phone, and told her he felt she was ignoring him and "was not paying him enough attention". A squabble then ensued over cigarettes, and the defendant responded by arming himself with a knife from the kitchen - Chandler held the weapon to his partner's throat and threatened to kill her. The woman managed to "calm down" the defendant and disarm him, and she later texted her mother to tell her what had happened. It is thought the mum then alerted the police and an officer subsequently tried to call the victim. When the defendant saw an unknown number calling his partner he attacked her again, grabbing the knife again and delivering multiple blows to her chest and back. The final of the seven blows was delivered with such force that the blade of the knife was left embedded in her back. The prosecutor said the victim managed to crawl out of the flat but not before she had apologised to her 57-year-old attacker, an apology to which he replied by saying "I will get a slap on the wrist because I have got mental health".
Paramedics were called and the woman was treated as having life-threatening injuries with consideration being given to requesting an air ambulance. In the end she was taken to the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff by road ambulance, and during the journey needed a blood transfusion due to the amount of blood she had lost - the first of eight such transfusions she would ultimately need. The court heard a stab wound to the woman's chest had punctured her left lung causing it to collapse, and a stab wound to the back and narrowly avoided severing her spinal chord. The embedded knife had to be surgically removed. The woman also suffered stab wounds to her face, neck, arm, and the back of her shoulder.
The court heard the victim spent a number of weeks being treated in various hospitals, and has been left with long-term injuries to her back, a permanent scar on her lip, and a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder albeit a diagnosis made in the context of a background of unstable personality disorder and alcohol misuse. In a statement which was read to the court the victim said the incident had impacted her self-confidence and feelings of self-worth, and she felt the trauma of the assault had "aged" her
Christopher Chandler, of Orchard Street, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has three previous convictions including one for inflicting grievous bodily harm from the 1990s.
Robin Rouch, for Chandler, said the defendant had not realised how quickly stopping taking his medication would affect him, and he said the lifestyle of both parties was one of alcohol and drug use. He said no mental health hospital disposal was being recommended, and the defendant understood he faces a lengthy custodial sentence.
Judge Paul Thomas KC said it seemed Chandler had become verbally and aggressive towards his partner, a pattern of behaviour which had coincided with his stopping his schizophrenia medication. He told the defendant that on the day in question, and while fuelled by alcohol and amphetamine, he had held a knife to his partner's throat and threatened to kill her before subsequently "trying to carry out that which you had earlier said" by stabbing her multiple times. The judge said the defendant's response to his partner's apology following the attack gave a "significant insight" into Chandler.
Judge Thomas said he was satisfied that on the sentencing guidelines the appropriate sentence after trial would have been one of 21 years in prison - with the required one-third discount for his guilty plea the defendant was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The defendant will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
Speaking after the sentencing South Wales Police detective constable Andrew Hirst, the officer in charge of the case, said: "This was no doubt an extremely frightening incident for the victim who remained in hospital for some time receiving treatment for the serious injuries caused in the violence demonstrated by Christopher Chandler. The woman continues to recover from the trauma and receive further support. The bravery shown by the victim is completely admirable and her strength throughout this process has been unwavering."
Detective inspector Carl Price said South Wales Police takes all reports of domestic abuse seriously, and he urged anyone with concerns about someone suffering at the hands of an abuser to come forward. He said: "Many abusers rely on silence so they can continue the abuse. If you are worried about a loved one or someone you know, please report it to us. We will listen. No person should suffer at the hands of another in any scenario, but especially by someone who is close to them or in a position of trust. South Wales Police will deal with offenders of domestic violence robustly, and their actions will not be tolerated within our communities in any circumstance."
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