Man stabbed his ex-girlfriend with a pen, threatened to burn her home, and said he would leave her to die alone

A brute used a pen to repeatedly stab his ex-girlfriend in the knee after he warned "I will make sure you never walk again".
Christopher GrahamChristopher Graham
Christopher Graham

Christopher Graham dragged the former civil servant from her sofa onto the floor and caused four painful wounds to her right knee, which needed stitches, then told told her "I'm going to leave you to bleed out. You are going todie, you will die alone".

The 38-year-old, who started strangling his 46-year-old victim during the attack and had previously warned her home would be set alight, had drunk a bottle of vodka and some wine before he launched the violence last August.

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Newcastle Crown Court heard on August 18 that Graham had warned the victim, while looking like a "psychopath with red eyes," that he planned to torch her flat, but was on a security course that week, which he "didn't want tojeopardise", so had sent her address to friends who would "burn it on his behalf".

Two days later Graham, who had met his victim online, went to the house so they could talk about their relationship and initially shared some wine with her, but then opened a three-quarter litre bottle of vodka, which he drank.

Prosecutor Stuart Graham said: "The defendant then started to become nasty towards her, accusing her of having other men in the flat and seemed convinced she was seeing someone else.

"She was sitting on the sofa and the defendant approached her, put his hands around her neck and started to strangle her.

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"She managed to get him off and he repeated it twice more, causing her to feel as if she was losing consciousness."

The court heard Graham had moved the victim's phone away when she tried to reach for it.

Mr Graham said the violence resumed after the victim told Graham he couldn't hurt her and she could look after herself.

Mr Graham added: "He said 'Oh yes I can hurt you, I will make sure you never walk again'.

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"He proceeded to drag her off the sofa,, causing her to land on her back.

"He stabbed at her right knee in quick succession.

"She couldn't see what he was using to stab her but she felt immediate pain and her knee was bleeding.

"He then stated to her 'that's how I can hurt you. I'm going to leave you to bleed out. You are going to die, you will die alone."

The court heard Graham started strangling the woman again before he finally left he flat.

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In a victim statement, the mum and grandmother said: "I have never seen behaviour like that.

"I genuinely feared for my life. I keep thinking about what could have happened."

Graham, of Roche Court, Washington, admitted unlawful wounding.

Judge Christopher Prince sentenced him to 32 months behind bars with a lifelong restraining order to keep him away from the victim.

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The judge told him: "She was particularly vulnerable, she was alone with you in the house."

Nicholas Lane, defending, said Graham has completed courses, gained certificates and is employed as a cleaner while in custody.

Mr Lane said Graham was under stress at the time and regrets the harm he has caused.

He added: "The relationship is clearly at an end but he wishes her no ill will."

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