Drunken attack on wife

Guilty and marriage over

A DRUNKEN bedwetter has accepted his relationship is over after he stabbed and bashed his wife because she tried to guide him to the spare bedroom.

Corey Lee Milner, 48, pleaded guilty to wounding, two counts of attempted wounding and two counts of assault in the Supreme Court in Launceston on Thursday.

Justice Michael Brett sentenced Milner on Friday saying the couple had an agreement he would sleep in the spare bedroom when drunk so he did not wet their bed. On April 28, Milner and his wife had been drinking at their Nunamara home.

“About 5pm you walked towards the main bedroom of the house,” Justice Brett said.

Justice Brett said Mrs Milner tried to guide her husband to the spare bedroom, but he wrestled her to the floor, held her head to the ground with one hand and repeatedly punched her face.

“You went to the kitchen and took a carving knife from the block.” Milner tried to stab his wife in the stomach several times but “she was able to prevent you from stabbing her by holding your wrist”.

“The knife pierced her layers of clothing. Clearly if you had succeeded … the knife would have caused a serious wound with potentially catastrophic consequences.”

Milner brought the knife down on the back of his wife’s shoulder, causing a wound that later required at least five stitches. He tried to stab her in the stomach, before wrestling her to the ground and punching her repeatedly.

Mrs Milner escaped house and phoned police.

Justice Brett said the attack was a serious example of family violence and “could have inflicted lethal injury”.

The court heard Milner had a history of violence against his wife and other family members. Mr Milner’s lawyer said he still loved and cared for his wife, “but accepts the relationship is truly over”.

Justice Brett sentenced Milner three years’ imprisonment backdated to April 28. He will be eligible for parole after serving 18 months. the