Spurned woman ‘tried to murder her ex by stabbing him with nail’

A WOMAN tried to stab her ex-partner to death on Christmas Day after he said their relationship was over, a court was told yesterday.

Lisburn Magistrates Court heard claims that 31-year-old Kathryn Knox used a 3-inch nail to stab her ex more than 10 times to his head, back and stomach, causing multiple puncture wounds.

He was still in hospital yesterday receiving treatment.

Appearing by video-link from police custody, Knox, from Moat View Crescent in Dundonald, was charged with attempted murder.

She was also accused of possessing a weapon with intent to commit attempted murder, and making a threat to kill.

All charges are alleged to have been committed on December 25.

Throughout the half-hour contested bail application Knox appeared emotional and agitated, holding her head in her hands and knocking her head against the wall, turning her back to the camera and occasionally crying out .

iving evidence, Gadetective constable said she believed she could connect Knox to each of the offences and that police had objections to her being freed due to concerns of witness interference and further offences being committed.

She told the court how the victim, who had visible “puncture wounds to his head and torso”, walked into Lurgan police station at 9.15am to report that his ex-partner, the defendant, had stabbed him.

Taken to hospital for treatment, he told police that Knox had come to his house “with clothing and alcohol” on Christmas Eve and had “spent time that evening trying to rekindle their relationship”.

“He said he didn’t love her and it was over,” said the detective.

She added that having slept in separate rooms, he again told her in the morning that they were not going to be together.

The complainant claimed he was playing his Playstation when

Knox allegedly attacked him, punching him about the head and chest while holding what he thought was a small knife and allegedly telling him: “I want you to die.”

The complainant tried to get out of the property but the door was sticking, and as he tried to free it Knox allegedly stabbed him in the back.

A search of the property on Boxing Day uncovered a 3ins nail in the bedroom.

When Knox was interviewed on Sunday she claimed that she had been attacked after an argument and was punched “numerous times to the face and head”.

The detective told the court that Knox “couldn’t give any explanation as to how he (her ex-partner) was injured”.

She had to comfort Knox at this stage of the hearing after the defendant shouted out: “He tried to keep me.”

The defendant then turned her back to the camera and was visibly shaking.

The court heard t hat her ex-partner sustained eight or nine puncture wounds to his stomach and back and two to his head and is still in hospital, as one of the wounds “may have damaged his kidney”.

Defence solicitor Andrew Russell said it was their case that Knox had acted in self-defence, claiming that when they had been together she had been the victim of domestic abuse, “bullying and coercion”.

Submitting that bail could be granted given her clear record and her address being far removed from Lurgan, he told the court that both Knox and her family are “extremely concerned” for her mental health.

He suggested that possibly the quickest way for her to be assessed was to see the resident psychiatrist in Hydebank Women’s Prison.

Remanding Knox into custody, District Judge Amanda Brady adjourned the bail application to January 6.

‘She spent the evening trying to rekindle their relationship... he said he didn’t love her, it was over’