A LEAMINGTON man stabbed his partner at least 20 times during a violent drunken row at her home, leaving her with severe internal injuries and disfiguring scars.
And a judge at Warwick Crown Court said it was ‘merciful’ Daniel Bourke’s victim Andene Harvey did not die from her life-threatening injuries in August last year.
The 46 year-old of Newland Road, had pleaded guilty to wounding 34-year-old Miss Harvey with intent – and a plea of not guilty to attempted murder was accepted.
He was jailed for ten years as part of what is known as an extended sentence – under which he will have to serve at least two thirds before the Parole Board will even consider his release.
And, if he is released before the ten years is up, he will remain on licence for the rest of that period and, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC ordered, for a further five years.
Prosecutor Jeremy Janes said: “There’s a background to this relationship which involves the mutual consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol.
“There is material in which it is suggested the violence in the relationship was largely from the complainant.
“There had been an episode of violence by her towards him in the street in the period leading up to the 26thof August, and it’s a matter for which she was awaiting a charging decision.”
Of the incident itself, Mr Janes said there was an argument, and Miss Harvey can recall that at one stage Bourke had a knife and that she received ‘a number of stab-type injuries.’
But her recollection did not describe exactly what took place in the house, and those details had largely come from remarks made by Bourke following his arrest.
Mr Janes said Miss Harvey suffered ‘something in the order of 20-25 injuries, some far more penetrative than others.’
Of the more significant ones were wounds which caused ‘a large haemorrhaging around the spleen, liver and gall bladder.’
There were also penetrating wounds to her liver and right kidney, wounds to her neck, with a possibly thyroid gland injury, a hole in her small intestine, and a stab to the shoulder which was of sufficient force to have caused a fracture of the scapula and the knife to bend.
It was Bourke who called 999, and Miss Harvey was found in the bathroom ‘bleeding relatively profusely, and she was losing a large amount of blood.’She was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital in Coventry where she was operated on and remained in an induced coma for three weeks while her injuries were treated.
Miss Harvey has been left with extensive scarring all over her body and a ‘drooping eye,’ and no longer feels safe in her own home, added Mr Janes.
Ben Gow, defending, said: “He says they were both very drunk, and he has limited memory of what occurred.
“She had been repeatedly violent towards him over a relationship of seven years, and he had not previously been violent towards her. She often assaulted him in public places.
“She had assaulted him shortly before this incident and was subject to bail conditions. As a consequence, he was sleeping rough, and she invited him back and locked him in.
“On her return [from a shop] she was drunk and had bought more alcohol, and they drank together from 10.30 in the morning.
“She began to assault him and tried to hit him over the head with a hammer, and he tried to defend himself. This kind of behaviour was not unusual.”
Mr Gow said Miss Harvey then picked up a knife and tried to stab Bourke between the legs, telling him she would kill him if she found he had been with other women.
She also tried to stab herself to the stomach and chest before Bourke took the knife from her and stabbed her, although he could not recall doing so more than once, said Mr Gow.
But Mr Janes pointed out there was evidence that Bourke had put the knife in the kitchen after taking it from her, before picking it up again and using it to stab her.
Jailing Bourke, Judge Lockhart told him: “The police had been called a number of times to arguments which had arisen between you, and I accept violence had come from her towards you in the past.
“But you had been with her there for a few days, and I reject the submission you were a prisoner there.
“On that particular day you had both been drinking. At one stage she tried to assault you with a hammer, but you did not have any injuries consistent with that.
“It is right you called the police, telling them you had stabbed your partner. She was found naked in the bathroom, and there was a considerable amount of blood.
“She had been stabbed numerous times. They were life-threatening injuries. It is merciful she didn’t die. You are responsible for some 20 knife wounds to the most vulnerable parts of her body.
“I have to consider whether you are dangerous. I am driven to conclude that, were you to be in a relationship again, and were you to be drinking again, it may be the case that you would act in this way again. I am satisfied the dangerousness provisions apply.”
