Man held knife to his wife’s neck (From The Bolton News)

Man held knife to his wife’s neck

9:04am Tuesday 8th January 2013 in News

A HUSBAND who held a knife to his estranged wife’s neck has been jailed for nine months.

Bolton Crown Court heard that Simon Walsh, aged 36, of Briercliffe Road, Deane, grabbed his wife, Sharon, and put a knife near her neck and said: “If you don’t do as I say the kids will never see you again.”

Adam Lodge, prosecuting, said the incident happened after Walsh approached his wife of five years in the car park of Hebdon Court, Bolton, at about 6.30pm on November 23.

The pair had separated eight weeks earlier, and the address was the home of Mrs Walsh’s new partner, the court heard.

Walsh told her to get Ian, her new partner, or she would be dead.

He then let go of her and produced a large knife, with a blade about 10 inches long, and pushed it against her neck.

A young man came out of the flat and disturbed Walsh, telling him to calm down.

He left the scene frightened and phoned his friends.

Mrs Walsh then phoned the police from her partner’s flat. Walsh handed himself into police.

Alexander Langhorn, defending, said Walsh had struggled to come to terms with the relationship ending.

He carried out the attack after being unable to cope knowing that his youngest son had met his wife’s new partner.

Judge Peter Davies, sentencing, said: “You couldn’t come to terms with the fact the relationship had broken up, that another man was with your former wife and couldn’t come to terms that one of your children was visiting that man and I can quite understand the significant emotions.

“But what you did was reprehensible.

“You decided to take the law into your own hands, you armed yourself with two knives.

“There must have been intent to injure her and the fact you assaulted her shows the intent.

“People have been injured and killed by knives being carried in public.”

Walsh was jailed for nine months after pleading guilty to common assault and two counts of possessing offensive weapons.