'I was determined to survive stabbing for my kids'

Penny Howard was stabbed 16 times by her ex-husband

A woman stabbed 16 times by her ex-husband has recalled how she was determined to survive for her children and grandson.

Penny Howard, from Longton, in Stoke-on-Trent, is using her experience to raise awareness of domestic violence and campaign for more bleed kits, which she said could save lives.

Ms Howard was seriously injured after she was attacked by Paul Smith in January 2018 following a row in their car. He was later jailed for 16 years after admitting attempted murder.

She said her first reaction was "dead calm" and she asked him why he was doing it before he responded with: "I don't care, I'm going to kill you."

Warning - this article contains distressing content

"He basically locked the doors of the car and launched at me," she said. "He started with my face and my natural reaction was to grab the knife."

Ms Howard said he then stabbed her hands before she released the knife, because she "couldn't hold it any longer".

She added: "He pinned me back and put it [the knife] in my chest... and said 'I've done it now I've killed you'."

Paul Smith was jailed for 16 years after admitting attempted murder in 2018

Ms Howard said the adrenaline kicked in and she was eventually able to kick her attacker away and throw herself out of the car.

She remembered feeling "mad, angry and upset", while also thinking about her children and grandson.

"I think that's what saved me... it gave me a purpose to fight back," she said. "As soon as he said 'I've done it now, I've killed you' I just couldn't imagine not living for my kids or my grandson.

"For whatever reason, I was determined to get out of that car alive," Ms Howard added.

Smith pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to 16 years in prison in August 2018.

During the hearing, the judge said Smith "intended to kill" and described the attack as "brutal and sustained".

Ms Howard has helped to raise funds for a bleed kit, which has been installed at The Ashwood Pub in Longton

Since her recovery, Ms Howard said she now suffered with asthma, because of the chest injury she sustained, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.

She said her life had been "hell" and she had struggled to get involved in new relationships, though she described her current partner as the "best bloke you could ask for".

She recently teamed up with The Ashwood Pub in Longton to install a bleed kit on the building, for which she raised £350 by organising a family fun day.

She said she was "amazed" by how the community came together to help with the initiative.

"It means the world to me... there was nothing like that [a bleed kit] when it was happening to me," Ms Howard added.

"If that can save somebody's life... that's what we want. We want to help people."

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