Attacker taunted partner's mum with death claims

Mark Downey has a string of convictions including sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13

A man who viciously attacked his partner with a knife, then taunted her stepfather as he tried to help her and phoned her mother to claim she was dead, has been jailed for six years and three months.

Mark Downey, 52, lay in wait for the woman at her Newcastle home before punching and stabbing her, the city's crown court heard.

The victim was found "slumped and lifeless" in a nearby bus stop by her stepfather, with aid given by a passing off-duty police officer as Downey stood shouting that he hoped she was dead, the court was told.

Downey, who is from the Liverpool area and has a history of domestic and sexual violence, was charged with attempted murder but admitted intentional wounding.

The woman had been in a relationship with Downey for about 18 months when he travelled by train to Newcastle to stay with her on 7 November last year, prosecutor Nick Dry said.

She chose to stay with her mother and stepfather over the following days due to Downey's use of alcohol and cocaine and his " increasingly erratic" behaviour, the court heard.

'I've killed her'

On 9 and 10 November Downey turned up at their house shouting abuse before leaving.

Later on 10 November, against the advice of her family, the woman went home to get her uniform for work the following day, Mr Dry said.

Downey was "lying in wait" and attacked her as soon as she walked into her home, punching her repeatedly and striking her about the head and neck with a 12cm (4.8in) long kitchen knife, the court heard.

She was able to flee and contact her stepfather before collapsing in a bus stop, Mr Dry said.

As her stepfather and a passing off-duty police officer gave the woman first aid, Downey stood nearby shouting he "hoped she was dead", she "deserved it" and "had it coming".

Downey called 999 and repeatedly told the call handler "I've killed her", then when police rang back he denied having any involvement and claimed a neighbour had done it, the court was told.

Mr Dry said those lies were an attempt by Downey to "cover his tracks" after realising the "enormity" of what he had done.

'Chisel attack'

Downey also rang the woman's mother, "taunting her" by saying he "had done it now" and the victim, who he repeatedly accused of cheating on her during his "alcohol-fuelled jealousy", would "not be playing away any more because she was dead", Mr Dry said.

The woman had multiple lacerations and bruises to her head, face and neck, including a "potentially life-threatening" injury to her jugular vein, the court heard.

The blood-stained knife, with its blade bent, was found beneath a living room sofa.

Downey, of no fixed abode but formerly of Bailey Lane in Hale Village, had previously physically assaulted the woman and had a history of violent offending, Mr Dry said.

He was jailed for eight years after luring a former partner, who he had previously assaulted, into his car and attacking her with a chisel in November 2011.

Other previous convictions included sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13, affray, breaching a restraining order and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

There was also a "litany of driving offences" including driving while drunk and disqualified, Mr Dry said.

The prosecutor said it was "telling" that Downey told a psychiatrist he still chose to drink alcohol and use cocaine despite knowing the violent affect it had on him.

Downey will have to serve a further four years on extended licence upon his release.