Bath teacher describes alleged knife attack by on-off boyfriend
Mathew Jones from Southdown is accused of trying to kill Emma Kirk, which he denies
Last updated 3rd Sep 2024
A teacher has told a court she was attacked by her on-off boyfriend after he would not accept their relationship was over.
Matthew Jones, 28, from Bath stabbed Emma Kirk, 24, around 15 times in the city, inflicting multiple injuries to her neck, head and face.
Bristol Crown Court heard the "angry" defendant, also a teacher, allegedly attacked Miss Kirk because he would not accept she did not want to see him again.
It took five men to drag him off Miss Kirk and even then he tried to strangle her during the attack in February, the court heard.
Miss Kirk, a secondary school teacher, told the jury they had become friends while completing their training at university in 2022.
She said over the next 18 months they became "very close" and were intimate on a couple of occasions.
"By the end of November or early December I decided I wanted to put some boundaries up in our relationship," she said.
Looking at dozens of WhatsApp messages of their conversations, Miss Kirk broke down in tears, telling the jury: "I know that we were close. It's very hard to look at all those messages... I know we were close.
"It's upsetting because I made it clear that I thought we were friends. It's very hard having to look at these after what happened to me."
The court heard Miss Kirk and Jones agreed to meet in a lane near her home because he wanted her to give back gifts he had bought her.
Michael Haynes, representing Jones, suggested to Miss Kirk she was scared of the defendant and had put on trainers and taken a knife with her in case she needed to flee.
Miss Kirk replied: "That's incorrect."
"What I am going to suggest is what happened at the incident is that when you met Matthew you threw the bags down on the floor and you were terrified and scared of him and you were going to get him arrested and that's when you ran off," Mr Haynes said.
She replied: "No, that's not what happened."
Fighting back tears, she added: "He said he wanted to be with me and I didn't feel the same way.
"He took the knife out of his pocket. I ran away and he chased me with the knife and tackled me to the ground and stabbed me repeatedly.
"That's what happened."
Mr Haynes asked: "The struggle that ensued resulted in him disarming you?"
The teacher replied: "That not true. He brought the knife and attacked me with it and chased me and dragged me to the ground and stabbed me repeatedly until he was dragged off."
An off-duty police officer, members of the public and paramedics went to assist her in the lane close to Dransfield Way and administered first aid.
The defendant, of Ivy Avenue, Southdown, Bath, denies attempted murder and having an article with a blade or point in a public place, but he admits causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The trial continues.