A Carlisle woman is facing prison after being convicted of intentionally wounding her husband and a child by stabbing them both at a city house.
Jacqueline Mounsey, 53, was acquitted of charges which had alleged the attempted murder of both Mark Bennett and the youngster, following a two-week trial at Carlisle Crown Court.
Those not guilty verdicts were announced this afternoon. But after deliberating for just over 12 hours, a jury of seven men and five women did find Mounsey guilty of two alternative, lesser charges — those of wounding Mr Bennett and the child with intent to cause grievous bodily harm — on majority verdicts of 10 to two, and 11 to one, respectively.
During evidence, jurors heard how Mounsey stabbed 56-year-old Mr Bennett as he lay sleeping on a living room sofa inside the address at Whernside on June 10.
Mr Bennett felt a jab and heard what he described as a crunch from his neck before seeing Mounsey with the knife and realising what had happened, Carlisle Crown Court heard.
As he tried to flee the house, bleeding, and reached the garden steps, Mounsey grabbed and jumped on to him before attempting to stab him again. “I was just trying to get out; just trying to run for my life,” Mr Bennett told a jury.
In the immediate aftermath, Mr Bennett had told neighbours of her attack on him: “Jackie has stabbed us”.
During the incident, Mounsey also stabbed a child to both sides of the neck. A pathologist viewed a CT scan which showed the wounds were very close to penetrating the internal jugular vein. The expert estimated the youngster may have been potentially millimetres from losing their life.
Both Mr Bennett and the child were treated in hospital before later being discharged. Mounsey also suffered injuries which the pathologist suggested could be tentative or hesitant.
A neighbour who saw Mounsey and the child bleeding from neck wounds spoke of something like a scene from a horror movie.
“This is a difficult and tragic case,” prosecutor Iain Simkin KC had told jurors as he opened the case against Mounsey.
The prosecutor suggested Mounsey had gone on to stab herself after attacking Mr Bennett and the child, adding: “What is without doubt members of the jury, is that all three of them were very lucky to survive.”
Jurors watched video footage captured by two detectives at a bail address after she had been interviewed and gave mostly no comment answers.
During long exchanges, she hinted at wanting to tell the officers something.
“What I’ve got to say is going to get me into trouble,” she initially said. “I want to tell you but I don’t want jail.”
“I just want to confess now,” she continued. “I did it.”
Giving evidence, Mounsey said she remembered nothing from June 10, nor making the subsequent, telling comments to police. She spoke of being devastated by the earlier death of her mother, which had brought other past trauma firmly into focus.
Mounsey showed no emotion as the four verdicts were returned.
Judge Nicholas Barker said he would not pass sentence immediately.
He instead adjourned the case until February 7, ordering the preparation of a probation service report following an assessment of Mounsey; and impact statements on behalf of Mr Bennett and the child.
“You have heard the jury’s verdicts on you in respect of these two very serious charges of wounding with intent,” said Judge Barker to Mounsey.
“I have called for reports and statements to be obtained to assist me with the sentence. I simply say this, which is something you will be aware of: the only sentence the court can give you, certainly at this stage, is a sentence of immediate custody. That will be of some duration. Beyond that I will say nothing further.”
Mounsey, previously of Whernside, remains remanded in custody.
