Former lecturer from South Shields jailed for trying to murder his partner with a knife

Steven Corner warned the victim "I'm not going to let you go" before he chased her out of their home holding a kitchen knife with an eight-inch blade and stabbed her twice in the back as she ran.

Newcastle Crown Court heard after she fell to the ground Corner got on top of her and inflicted at least five more knife wounds.

During the "ferocious" killing bid, the woman pleaded with Corner to stop and told him "I've got a daughter, please don't do this" but he continued stabbing until some brave neighbours heard her screams and helped her fight him off.

The woman, 50, needed surgery, has been scarred for life from the stab wounds and suffered a broken finger.

Corner, 54, of Bisley Drive, South Shields, admitted attempted murder and having a bladed article.

Prosecutor Ian Mullarkey told the court the couple had been together around four years and lived together but their formerly "good" relationship started to suffer when Corner left his job and began to drink to excess.

Corner was admitted to a residential rehabilitation facility for a week and was released on January 4 this year, with a warning to stay away from alcohol.

The court heard when the victim realised Corner was secretly drinking again she told him it was the "final straw" and their relationship was over.

Mr Mullarkey said: "He was obsessed with her and maintaining the relationship with her."

On January 20 the woman had barricaded herself in a room upstairs to get some alone time but she went to make a cup of tea she realised there was a fire in the bin, which she assumed Corner had set to ignite the smoke alarms and get her downstairs.

Corner then tried to convince her to go back upstairs to search for alcohol he may have stashed but she hid out of view and saw him go to the kitchen and pick up a large knife.

Mr Mullarkey said: "As the defendant got to her he said 'I'm not going to let you go'.

"She had her mobile phone in her hand and tried to unlock it to call for help but he grabbed it from her hand."

Mr Mullarkey said the victim initially thought Corner was just trying to scare her but added: "She turned and ran out of the front door and across the street.

"The defendant chased her and stabbed her twice in the back. She fell to the floor.

"The defendant was on top of her, she believes kneeling on her and he repeatedly stabbed her arms as she tried to defend herself.

"She screamed 'help me' and 'I've got a daughter, please don't do this'.

"She describes he had a look on his face she hadn't seen before.

"He was stabbing her ferociously and repeatedly, in a downward stabbing motion."

The court heard a female neighbour heard the screams, ran across and told Corner "get off her now" before other residents arrived to also help.

Corner ran off and hid in a coal shed and a greenhouse before he was arrested at a caravan park.

The victim told police she "would not be here now" were it not for the intervention of those who bravely came to her aid.

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She added in an impact statement, which was read in court: "I was chased out of my own home with this knife and stabbed twice in the back as I was running.

"I was then pinned to the floor as I was repeatedly stabbed further.

"I truly believe if I wasn't able to fight back how I did and my neighbours didn't hear my screams for help then I would be dead.

"I genuinely think Steven was trying to kill me."

The woman said she was left "broken and afraid" and needed six months off work.

She added: "I have struggled to reclaim my life, there are still days I think things will never be normal again.

"I still can't believe this horrific thing has happened to me."

The court heard Corner, who is a university graduate, spent time in the Royal Marine reserves and handed in references to his usually positive character, has never been in trouble before.

Judge Paul Sloan KC said Corner's history of mental health problems provide him with some mitigation but added that the main "driving force" behind the offending was consumption of alcohol.

Sailesh Mehta, defending, said Corner was unable to remember the exact details of what he did that day and added: "It was difficult to accept he could have turned into, for those few seconds, a man he doesn't recognise, even now."