Wife sentenced for stab attack on her husband

11:10am Saturday 4th October 2008

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AN air stewardess stabbed her flight engineer husband after keeping him imprisoned in his bedroom for 24 hours, a court heard.

Carol Cole, aged 55, from Farnworth, had been with her husband, Roger, for more than 15 years when she attacked him in a drunken state.

Guildford Crown Court heard their marriage had been in difficulties for three to four years.

Jill Beale, prosecuting, said the pair were no longer living together when the attack took place on September 28 last year.

They had spent time together at their former marital home in Staines, Middlesex, where Mr Cole lived, drinking and discussing their relationship.

They went to bed in separate rooms but when Mr Cole got up at around 8am his wife was already drinking.

The prosecutor said: “He told her the relationship certainly did not have a future.”

When he went for a shower, Cole, who had pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding at an earlier hearing, trapped him in the bedroom and locked the door. She kept him prisoner for 24 hours, provided him with meals and told him she could not live without him.

After she released him, the pair started drinking together again.

Cole, of Gladstone Road, then went into the kitchen, took out a knife and told her husband that his family thought she was going to stab him.

The prosecutor said: “She then proceeded to do just that — and stabbed him in the chest.

“He said he thought he was going to die.”

Mr Cole managed to escape and kicked down his garden fence to get to a neighbour's house.

The court heard mother-of-three, Cole, who was of previous good character, had breached her bail conditions after going to the house and making threats. She was arrested in the marital bed.

Rachel Shenton, defending Cole, said: “Whilst this is very serious, it is a very sad culmination of events and a reckless act in drink.”

The marriage had fallen apart in Bahrain, she said. Cole’s estranged husband had sent her cards, letters and text messages but she could not reply because of bail conditions.

It had been a turbulent relationship but Mr Cole did not want her to go to prison.

The court said Cole was not a threat to the public.

She was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, placed on a supervision order for two years and also ordered to live in the Bolton area for two years.

Cole has started divorce proceedings.