Man denies trying to kill fellow teacher with knife after rejection

A teacher has denied attempting to murder his on-off partner with a knife after failing to accept that their relationship was over.

Matthew Jones, 28, admits causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Emma Kirk, 24, after they met in a lane in Bath, Somerset, in February.

Bristol Crown Court has heard Jones stabbed Miss Kirk, a fellow teacher, about 15 times with the blade – inflicting injuries to her neck, head and face.

Jurors have been told that the attack was so frenzied that it took five men to drag Jones off Miss Kirk, and even then he tried to strangle her.

But giving evidence in his trial, Jones insisted he was not intending to kill Miss Kirk during the incident and claimed she had brought the knife to the scene, not him.

During cross-examination, Jones said he accepted stabbing Miss Kirk once but claimed the other injuries she sustained were “cuts”.

He told the jury: “If I had wanted to kill Emma at any point, Emma would not be here now.

Jones added: “I could have caused maximum damage by stabbing her in as many places as I could in the three minutes we had together.”

Sam Jones, prosecuting, asked: “Why did you stab her so many times?”

The defendant replied: “I didn’t stab her so many times.”

Mr Jones asked: “Why didn’t you stop at any point?”

The defendant said: “I did”.

Mr Jones replied: “You didn’t, you kept going. You had to be stopped.”

The defendant told the court: “When those men arrived and they were on my back, I was no longer doing anything to Emma.”

Mr Jones said: “Even when the knife had been prised out of your hands, even when you had all these people on your back, trying to hold you down, you were reaching out in one last attempt to strangle her as she bled on the ground.”

The defendant replied: “No.”

He denied grabbing at Miss Kirk’s neck and instead claimed he had been trying to push her clothing to her neck.

Mr Jones, prosecuting, previously described how Jones and Miss Kirk met at university before becoming “romantically involved”.

The attack took place after Miss Kirk told Jones she did not wish to see him again but agreed to meet him in a lane near her home to return Christmas gifts he had given her.

It is alleged that Jones then produced a knife and demanded to see Miss Kirk’s mobile phone, causing her to run away. He is said to have pulled her to the ground before stabbing her.

Miss Kirk sustained two punctured lungs, and multiple wounds to her hands as she grabbed at the blade.

An off-duty police officer, members of the public and paramedics went to assist Miss Kirk, and administered first aid.

Mr Jones, prosecuting, previously told jurors that Miss Kirk would have died if they had not done so.

The defendant later told police it was Miss Kirk who brought the knife to the scene, and he took it from her during a struggle in which they both ended up on the floor.

Jones, of Ivy Avenue, Southdown, Bath, denies charges of attempted murder and having an article with a blade or point in a public place. But he admits causing her grievous bodily harm with intent.

The trial continues.