Tried to kill ex in jealous rage

Woman stabbed 14 times

COURT REPORTER

A Cambuslang man stabbed his estranged partner 14 times after accusing her of seeing another man.

At the High Court in Glasgow Andrew O’Hagan, 56, admitted attempting to murder Lorraine Gordon at a house in Halfway on June 8.

Lord Mulholland told O’Hagan: “It is an appalling crime to repeatedly stab a defenceless woman, no matter what state your relationship was in.

“This is domestic violence of a very serious kind and you will pay a high price for that.”

O’Hagan and Ms Gordon had been together for 22 years but had separated.

The court heard that O’Hagan demanded of his former partner: “Who are you seeing? I’ll give you 10 minutes to tell me.”

He then punched her in the face, ripped her dress and forced her into a bedroom with a knife at her back.

The salesman made a series of calls to friends and workmates, claiming that Ms Gordon had tried to stab him and he had had to hit her in self-defence.

He then sent a text, pretending to be her, to her brother and sister-in-law, saying they were out for lunch discussing financial matters.

They did not believe the message and contacted police.

At 12.23pm officers went to the house. O’Hagan refused to open the door and told them: “F*** off.”

The officers could hear the woman crying inside the property.

Four minutes later they heard her screaming: “He is stabbing me. He’s stabbing me.”

One police officer began smashing down the front door and the other went to the back door, where O’Hagan was standing. He was arrested and handcuffed.

Ms Gordon was found in the bathroom, covered in blood.

Wounds were visible on her arms, chest and ribs and she had swelling and bruising to her forehead, jaw and right hand.

Prosecutor Owen Mullan said: “She told police: ‘Andrew done this to me’.

“They asked what had injured her and she pointed to below the bedroom window and said: ‘The knife on the floor.’”

She suffered 14 stab wounds to her chest and arms and a punctured lung. A doctor who examined her said the injuries were life-threatening.

Defence counsel Tony Lenehan said: “Up until about a year ago Mr O’Hagan was hard-working and successful.

“This was the relationship of his life. They were not married but lived as husband and wife and had a house.

“This is a man who in the throes of a disintegrating relationship had some sort of breakdown. Those around him thought he was under tremendous stress.”

Lord Mulholland deferred sentence on O’Hagan, who is a prisoner at Low Moss, until later this month.

The court heard that a non-harrassment order preventing O’Hagan from causing stress or alarm to his victim had been issued at Glasgow Sheriff Court on June 5.