Derbyshire man who stabbed wife and went on run with teenage son jailed

Police say the attack was so severe, the knife he was using snapped

Author: Olivia MounsorPublished 15th Oct 2024
Last updated 15th Oct 2024

A Derbyshire man who went on the run with his teenage son, after stabbing his wife multiple times, and locking her in their home has been jailed.

Police say the attack by Mark Taylor was "so severe" the knife he was using snapped.

After Taylor locked her in the house and drove away, the victim managed to climb upstairs, where she caught the attention of a dog walker nearby, who called the emergency services.

She was taken to hospital for treatment after suffering stab wounds to her neck, arm, chest and stomach in the 15 February attack.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras captured Taylor’s car moving around Derbyshire before heading to Cheshire.

He was stopped later that day by Cheshire Police and arrested, subsequently being charged with attempted murder.

Taylor, of Wheatlands Lane, Baslow, denied the offence but was found guilty on 15 August after a trial at Derby Crown Court.

He's now been jailed for 23 years, with a five year extension for dangerousness.

He's also been handed an indefinite restraining order that prevents him having any contact with his wife and son.

Temporary Detective Constable Amber Holmes, who led the investigation, 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."

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