Carlisle woman found guilty of intentionally harming her husband and a child in a knife attack

A woman from Carlisle has been found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent following a knife attack against her husband and a child.

Jacqueline Mounsey, 53, of Whernside, Carlisle, has been found guilty of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court, on 23 December 2024.

Mounsey was on trial for the attempted murder of her husband Mark Bennett and a child in June 2024.

During evidence, the court heard how Mounsey stabbed 56-year-old Mr Bennett while he was sleeping on a sofa.

Mr Bennett felt the knife and heard a "crunch" from his neck before realising he had been attacked by Mounsey with the knife.

Mounsey attempted to stab the 56-year-old again on the garden steps of the house as he tried to run away from the property.

Mr Bennett said: "I was just trying to get out; just trying to run for my life".

The jurors heard how Mr Bennett told neighbours about the incident, he said: "Jackie has stabbed us."

The pathologist says the child - who was stabbed in both sides of the neck - had been "potentially millimetres" away from losing their life, with the knife coming close to cutting the internal jugular vein.

Mr Bennett and the child were both taken to hospital for their injuries before being discharged later.

A neighbour described the incident "like a scene from a horror movie".

Prosecutor Ian Simkin KC, who described the case as "difficult and tragic", suggested that Mounsey had gone on to stab herself after harming Mr Bennett and the child.

He said: “What is without doubt members of the jury, is that all three of them were very lucky to survive.”

Jurors were shown video footage of Mounsey captured by officers at a bail address after she was interviewed.

After providing "no comment" answers in the interview, Mounsey said she wanted to tell the detectives something.

She initially said: “What I’ve got to say is going to get me into trouble.

“I want to tell you but I don’t want jail... I just want to confess now,” she continued.

“I did it,” she said.

During evidence, Mounsey said she did not remember anything from 10 June 2024 or telling police that she carried out the attack. She added that the death of her mother brought back past trauma.

Mounsey's sentencing is expected to take place on 7 February 2025.

Judge Nicholas Barker ordered the preparation of a probation service report after an assessment of Mounsey, as well as impact statements from both victims.

Judge Nicholas Barker said: “You have heard the jury’s verdicts on you in respect of these two very serious charges of wounding with intent,”

“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.”

Matthew Belshaw, Detective Inspector of Cumbria Police, said: "The victims in this incident suffered life threatening stab wounds to the neck, which could have resulted in the loss of life.

“In an attempt to shift blame Mounsey also caused injury to herself, and manipulated the child to also lay blame elsewhere, only days later did Mousey admit to detective’s she had inflicted the wounds to herself and the victims.

“I would like to acknowledge the victims in this case in what was a distressing incident. This also had a significant impact on the close knit local community of Whernside.

“I would like to thank the members of the jury, this was a difficult incident which resulted in a child suffering a life-threatening injury, you have sat and listened carefully to the evidence presented and returned a guilty verdict."

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