A former army major has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to murder his ex-wife by slashing her throat with a Stanley knife. Jonathan Creak, 50, of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, drove over 140 miles to confront Rhiannon in a country lane before launching the attack, screaming 'you need to die'.
The court heard that Creak, who served in Afghanistan, tracked down his ex-wife on the morning of July 6 last year after travelling from Oxford the previous night. He followed her in a white Volkswagen van and blocked her car in a lane in Hardwick, Norfolk. He then got out, produced a knife, and stabbed her multiple times, including a 20cm cut to her neck that required emergency surgery.
Rhiannon suffered serious wounds to her windpipe, neck, back, breast, and leg. In a victim statement, she said the attack had an 'unimaginable' impact on her life, leaving her with PTSD and hyper-vigilance. She expressed fear that Creak would come for her again upon his release.
Creak claimed he had no memory of the incident, which he said was triggered by his ex-wife's demands for a share of his army pension. However, Judge Katharine Moore rejected provocation as a defence, stating Creak was 'perfectly capable of understanding the consequences of your actions'. She accepted he suffered from mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
After the attack, Creak was arrested on a busy dual carriageway. Police ordered him to lie down outside his van, to which he laughed and said: 'You don't get much action'. He was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Friday.
