Mum saved when partner launched vicious knife attack – by £10 her snoodie
A MUM was saved when her partner launched a vicious knife attack – by her £10 snoodie.
Steven Corner flew into a rage when civil servant Sarah Coulson told him their relationship was over.
He grabbed an 8-in kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed her.
But the thick, fluffy hooded fleece she bought from her local market saved her life because it stopped the blade reaching vital organs.
Sarah, 51, said: “My snoodie saved me, it was thick with fur lining and he couldn’t quite get the knife in.
“The police said there was a lot more slash wounds than stab wounds.
“It was so oversized and so thick there was a lot of times he attempted to stab but he didn’t reach my body because of what I was wearing.
“It saved my life. Any one of those stab wounds could have killed me, the wounds were millimetres off causing permanent damage.”
The mum-of-one met Corner, 54, on Tinder and had been together four years when the relationship hit the rocks after he lost his job and began drinking.
He went into rehab but after he returned home he hit the bottle again so she told him it was over.
As they rowed on January 20 while he was looking for a hidden stash of alcohol in her house he grabbed the knife and stabbed her.
Sarah, of South Shields, South Tyneside, said: “He said ‘I’m not going to let you go’ but I managed to shove past him and run outside.
“He stabbed me in the back twice and he must have rugby tackled me.
“His knee was on my ribs and I could feel something popping.
“I had my arms up and he was slashing at my arm.
“I was screaming for help and saying ‘please I have a daughter’.”
He stabbed her at least seven times before neighbours rushed to her aid and pulled him off.
Corner, also of South Shields, fled but was arrested later.
He was jailed for 20 years last week at Newcastle crown court after he admitted attempted murder and having a bladed article.
Sarah praised the sentence and is encouraging other women to leave abusive relationships.
She said: “I want to raise awareness for domestic abuse and show women what red flags can be early on.
“I hope someone in a similar situation reads this and decides to get help.
“Sometimes I think ‘how did I miss that?’ but he fooled everyone. Everyone was shocked at what he did.
“He charmed everyone. He was like a chameleon, he told everyone what they wanted to hear and could change his personality to fit in.”
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.