Man who left his partner "oozing" blood in stabbing attack at her home in Leeds is jailed for six years

John Kellett was handed the sentence at Leeds Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to wounding with intent part way through a trial.Kellett, 46, was charged with attempted murder and an alternative plea of wounding with intent over the attack on Diana Morton at her home in Rothwell on August 7 last year.

The defendant entered a guilty plea to the wounding charge on April 5

The plea was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

At the sentencing hearing yesterday (April 11) prosecutor Michael Collins said Ms Morton suffered seven slash injuries to her hands, back, body and shoulder blades.

Mr Collins told the court how blood was "oozing" from her wounds when she was taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment.

She provided a victim impact statement describing how she had been diagnosed with PTSD and has suffered from depression and panic attacks as a result of the ordeal.

At the start of the trial, the jury heard how Kellett stabbed Ms Morton with a kitchen knife then told a 999 call operator that the attack had been carried out by her former partner.

He then followed her outside and stabbed her again in the garden as he said: "You are not leaving me."

The attack took place at the victim's home on Home Lea, Rothwell.

The couple had been in a relationship since around February of last year.

Mr Collins said the couple had spent the day drinking together before Kellett told Ms Morton that he had throat cancer.

He said: "She did not demonstrate much by way of sympathy.

"That is because she thought that he was lying, trying to manipulate her.

"Trying to make her feel sorry for him."

Kellett then armed himself with a cleaver and a large kitchen knife.

He put the cleaver to one side before standing over her holding the knife.

Mr Collins said: "He aggressively thrust the pointed end of the knife downwards, directly at her."

Ms Morton's hand was badly injured as she instinctively tried to defend herself.

The court heard she managed to get to a phone and dialled 999.

During the call the defendant picked up the phone and told the call handler that Ms Morton had been attacked by her former partner.

Kellett continued to attack the victim when she went outside into the garden.

Ms Morton described to police how Kellett looked like a "man possessed" as he made five or six more stabbing motions towards her with the knife.

Kellett said "you are not leaving me" as he struck out with the weapon.

He stopped the attack after Ms Morton said to him: "I'm not leaving you."

She then managed to kick him and ran to a neighbour for help.

Police were contacted and Kellett was arrested.

He told police officers at the scene: "She attacked me and I defended myself."

Abigail Langford, mitigating, asked that Collins be given credit for entering the guilty plea.

Ms Langford said Kellett now accepted that his relationship with Ms Morton is now over.

The barrister described her client as being of "limited intellectual ability" and would struggle in custody.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Jacobs said: "During the course of the 999 call you told the operator that Diana had been attacked by someone else.

"That was a deliberate lie.

Describing the attack, the judge said: "All of that must have been a truly terrifying incident for her.

"I have read the victim personal statement and it has had a very serious impact on her life."