Bridgend: Darren Brown stabbed wife after separating, court told

Darren Brown is standing trial charged with the attempted murder of his wife Corrine

A former town councillor told his separated wife "I do this for love" before stabbing her in the back, a court has heard.

Darren Brown, 35, denies attempted murder at the couple's home in Wildmill, Bridgend, on 10 July 2023.

Corrine Brown, 33, was said to be comforting their 18-month-old daughter at the time.

Cardiff Crown Court was told on Tuesday Mr Brown attacked his ex partner in order "to take her life".

Mr Brown previously pleaded guilty to a second charge of wounding with intent, the jury was told.

James Wilson, prosecuting, said the couple had agreed to separate earlier in 2023 after 10 years of marriage, but decided to stay living together until they paid off their mortgage.

Ms Brown had recently started seeing someone else, he added, which Mr Brown "had difficulty coming to terms with".

The court heard that on 8 July Ms Brown had gone to Southend for the weekend to visit her new boyfriend.

Mr Brown texted her several times, and she asked him to stop.

Mr Wilson said he told friends while she was away he was "losing the will to live".

"I could bloody stab her, but I bloody love her," he told them.

The court heard that two days later Mr Brown went on a spa day and had hoped his wife would join him, but she told him they were "just friends now and it wouldn't be right".

Her weekend away and texts from her new partner led to an argument between the former couple.

Mr Wilson said Mr Brown went downstairs to get a kitchen knife, and when he returned Ms Brown saw him standing by the door of their baby's room with his hands behind his back.

She asked him what he was doing and he replied "nothing".

'Like a psychopath from a horror movie'

Mr Wilson said: "She turned away from him to put a dummy in the baby's mouth. He then said 'I do this for love' and she felt extreme pain in her back and physically sick after he stabbed her for the first time."

Mr Wilson told the court Ms Brown had described her ex partner as "acting like a psychopath from a horror movie".

Mr Brown allegedly told her "I have to do this because I love you so much" and stabbed her a second time.

Ms Brown crawled to the bathroom while bleeding and locked the door, fearing she was dying, Mr Wilson said.

She rang both her new boyfriend and her mother to tell them what was happening, before Mr Brown smashed through the bathroom door and stabbed her again.

The court heard he left the house and drove off, called his parents and then rang the police.

He made a short 999 call, only confirming the address where Ms Brown was, before hanging up.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Mr Brown stabbed his wife in the back as she comforted their baby daughter

Mr Wilson said that when Mr Brown arrived back at the house he told police that had arrived at the scene that his wife's wounds were self-inflicted.

Mr Wilson said: "Corrine Brown had stab wounds to the back and a punctured lung. It would be impossible to self-inflict these wounds.

"This was a deliberate and calculated attack. Darren Brown persisted with his attack even when she tried to get away. His attempts to help his injured wife were minimal. His intentions were to take her life."

Mr Brown was an independent council member representing the Morfa ward on Bridgend town council and resigned in September 2023.

The trial continues.