Former army officer jailed for attempted murder of ex-wife
Jonathan Creak, 50, from Oxfordshire, followed his ex-wife to Norfolk before attacking her with a stanley knife
A man who stabbed his ex-wife multiple times in Norfolk after travelling from Oxfordshire has been sentenced to 25 years in prison with an additional four years on licence.
The attack happened in Hardwick, Norfolk, after the man followed his ex-wife from Oxfordshire the night before and confronted her about a financial dispute linked to their divorce.
Jonathan Creak, 50, from Woodstock, Oxfordshire, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Friday 25 July after being found guilty of attempted murder. He also admitted causing grievous bodily harm without intent and carrying a bladed article in public.
On 6 July last year, Creak was driving a white van from Oxford when he followed his ex-wife’s car and blocked her in on Mill Lane, Hardwick. He then stabbed her multiple times with a Stanley knife, including a 20cm cut to her neck. She ran but was chased and slashed on her back, chest, thigh, and throat.
A member of the public called emergency services and the victim was taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in critical condition. Creak left the scene but was later arrested by police in Bedfordshire.
In a statement read to the court, the victim, Rhiannon, described the lasting impact of the attack: “I have been diagnosed with PTSD and hyper-vigilance. I haven’t slept for more than a couple of hours a day since July. I am scared to be alone or in my partner’s home, the house where I was followed from.”
She described Creak as “a calculated and very dangerous man” who “holds a grudge well.” She added: “He will blame me for this whole experience and I have no doubt he will come for me again when he is released, this time with more aggression. It is the thing I fear the most.”
Detective Inspector Duncan Woodhams said: “This has been a terrifying ordeal for Rhiannon and her family. It has had a profound impact on her physical and psychological wellbeing. Nothing will ever erase the experience for Rhiannon, but we hope that the sentence today ensures her perpetrator will have to serve some justice for his unthinkable actions.”
Creak told police he had not intended to hurt Rhiannon but used the knife to make her ‘focus’ on his questions and said he was shocked to be arrested for attempted murder.