Man repeatedly stabbed wife and locked her in house

A man who repeatedly stabbed his wife before locking her in the house and going on the run with their teenage son has been jailed for 23 years.

Mark Taylor's "ferocious" attack on Suzanne Taylor at their house in Baslow, Derbyshire, on 15 February was so severe that the knife he was using snapped, before he picked up a second knife and carried on stabbing her.

Derbyshire Police said Taylor then made his victim - who sustained multiple wounds in the attack - hand over her phone, saying he would call an ambulance.

But instead Taylor, who was jailed for attempted murder on Monday, said "this will be the end of you" before locking the doors and driving away.

Derby Crown Court previously heard an argument had broken out between the couple over how they looked after their son.

The victim, police said, was taken to hospital for treatment to stab wounds to her neck, arm, chest and stomach.

Taylor, 57, of Wheatlands Lane, was convicted after a trial at Derby Crown Court and given a 23-year sentence with a five-year extension for dangerousness, the force added.

Police said after the attack, Mrs Taylor tried to call for help through the letterbox and managed to crawl up the stairs and shouted for help, eventually catching the attention of a dog walker who called the emergency services.

Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras captured Taylor's car around the county before heading to Cheshire, where he was stopped later that day and arrested.

During sentencing, Taylor was also handed an indefinite restraining order, preventing him from contacting his wife and son.

Temporary Det Con Amber Holmes said: "This was a ferocious and sustained attack by Taylor on his wife who genuinely feared she was going to die.

"After this incident, she disclosed to police that she had been suffering from domestic abuse at the hands of her husband for around 40 years, including a previous incident involving a knife.

"It's clear from the history and the actions of Taylor on this day that he posed a very real threat to his wife.

"I am pleased therefore that the judge has recognised the danger posed by Taylor with this extended sentence."

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