A 78-year-old man has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison after admitting to attempting to murder his wife while she slept in their Darlington home.
Brutal Attack While Asleep
Colin Finch stabbed his wife five times in a frenzied attack in March this year. He waited 30 minutes before calling for an ambulance, during which he confessed to the operator that he had 'tried to kill' her. The victim was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where she underwent emergency surgery to save her life.
Victim Impact Statement
In a victim impact statement read at Teesside Crown Court, the woman said: 'What Colin has done has broken our family. He has ruined his life as well as mine. When Colin was stabbing me, all I could think of was: Why, why was he doing this? I thought he loved me. I had no idea what was going to happen.'
She added that before the attack she was recovering from an operation and could manage some tasks independently, but now she is bedbound and requires daily assistance. 'My injuries will heal and my scars will fade, but the memory will always be there. I now have to learn to live with a broken heart.'
Police Condemn Cruelty
Detective Constable Daniel Blackwood from Darlington CID said: 'Colin Finch carried out a horrific and brutal attack on his own wife while she slept in the home they shared together. The level of cruelty he showed to someone he was supposed to love is truly abhorrent.' He praised the victim's strength and hoped the sentence would help her rebuild her life.
Sentencing
Finch appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday, June 10, where he was jailed for eight years and eight months for attempted murder.
