Husband who stabbed wife as she soothed baby jailed

A former councillor has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after stabbing his wife three times while she soothed their baby.

Darren Brown, 35, was convicted of attempted murder by a jury after stabbing his wife Corinne at their home in Wildmill, Bridgend, on 10 July last year.

Mr Brown was an independent member of Bridgend Town Council until he resigned, two months after the attack.

The judge said it was a "brutal, sustained attack with a knife".

Brown, a former member of Bridgend Town Council for the Morfa ward, was separated from his wife but remained living in the same property.

During the trial the court heard how the pair had been arguing because Mrs Brown "fell out of love with him", the argument woke the baby and when Corinne Brown went to soothe the child she was stabbed in the back.

In a victim impact statement Corinne Brown said: "I can still replay every second in my mind.

"I can still feel the pain where Darren stabbed me," she said. "I know Darren tried to kill me that night.

"Luckily my children didn't witness anything that night and are too young to understand what happened."

She said she knows one day she will have to sit them down to explain.

She said she has been "left physically and mentally scarred by Darren" and that her children kept her going "through this horrible time".

In sentencing Judge Jeremy Jenkins said after the pair had separated Mr Brown "became withdrawn jealous and controlling".

He said Ms Brown's new partner was a "source of resentment" for him which led him to install secret recording equipment in the separate room where she was sleeping.

On the night of the attack, Judge Jenkins said Mrs Brown pleaded with him to stop.

As she put the dummy in her child's mouth she was in no position to defend herself" when he stabbed her twice, before chasing her to the bathroom to stab her again, he said.

Judge Jenkins said Brown fled the scene "leaving your wife on the bathroom floor with serious injuries" in a "brutal sustained attack with a knife which your deliberately took to use".

"It was the ultimate act of cowardice to stab her in the back on three separate occasions."

"Your intention to kill her, was clear," he added.

Darren Brown was sentenced to 18 years, with at least two thirds to be served in custody before being released on licence.

A restraining order was also put in place indefinitely, which prevents Mr Brown from contacting Corinne Brown or going to her work or other premises where she may be staying or living.

Det Insp Owain Morrison from South Wales Police said: "The audio recording proved crucial evidence in the case as it corroborated the victim’s account and a number of key facts that she had mentioned during her interview could be heard on the recording, including the suspect kicking the bathroom door through after the victim had sought refuge there."

He added that the sentencing showed the force "will relentlessly pursue those who perpetrate violence against women and girls and bring them to justice".

Hannah West of the CPS said: "Any one of the wounds could have been fatal and the evidence we presented to the jury demonstrated Brown's intention was to kill his wife."

She added that she hoped his could "take comfort from knowing her husband has been brought to justice for this appalling attack".