Dream Wedding radio contestant stabbed fiancee

A MAN went berserk and stabbed his fiancee under the pressure of trying to win an independent radio station’s “Dream Wedding” competition, a court heard.
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Lee Rowlands, 37, and Madelaine Moir, 37, were among five finalists and were working up to 20 hours day to try and raise the most money for charity to win the £25,000 contest.

But the stress of competing in the Sheffield-based Hallam FM station’s competition which included a honeymoon in Sri Lanka got to Mr Rowlands.

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He suffered a “psychotic episode”, began hearing voices and attacked his fiancee stabbing her in the breast, arm, fingers and knee with two kitchen knives while she cowered on the floor.

He was found outside in the street in the early hours by police in his boxer shorts, sobbing his heart out and calling for his grandmother.

Rowlands was immediately admitted for mental health treatment but after serving 13 months in custody recovered sufficiently to plead guilty to unlawful wounding at Sheffield Crown Court.

He was given a jail term but because of the time he has served will be released in a few weeks. A family member said afterwards: “Madelaine still hopes to marry him one day.”

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In the application for the competition Miss Moir wrote: “We wish we had met years ago, we love each other and want to shout it to the world.”

Alison Dorrell, prosecuting, said it was an “unpleasant” incident which happened during the course of a happy relationship where Rowlands had become the father figure to divorced Miss Moir’s two children.

He had buckled under the pressure of trying to win the “Dream Wedding” contest because the couple worked very long hours for charity.

Miss Moir noticed her partner’s heart beating irregularly at the home they shared in Hatfield Lane, Armthorpe, Doncaster and he told her: “I’m dead already.”

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He began to talk “irrationally” and spoke of his grandmother saying he was hearing voices and wanted to be with her. He threatened to jump out of the window and harm himself.

His fiancee said later she did not recognise him. “He wasn’t himself and she was of the view that he didn’t want to hurt her and he wasn’t thinking rationally,” said Miss Dorrell.

“But in his misguided opinion he thought she was going to harm him.”

During the 25-minute episode Rowlands took two knives from the kitchen and attacked his fiancee who tried to protect herself.

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“He left the premises shouting for help saying he had killed her,” said Miss Dorrell. “He was found wandering about making no sense at all. He was arrested by police and gave a disjointed account of what happened.”

Miss Moir needed hospital treatment for a deep cut to her left breast and smaller cuts to her arm and knee along with a finger injury which requires further surgery.

Richard Barradell, defending, said the couple, who had known each other for about two years before the attack on March 14 last year, spent 24 hours a day together and it was totally out of character.

Miss Moir said in a victim impact statement: “I would say we were a team. We never argued. This is why I can’t say what happened. It is as if somebody else had taken over his body.”

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She had helped him turn his life round from a previous history of dishonesty for which he had been imprisoned and he was desperate to prove himself to her and his parents so they entered the competition.

“Five sets of contestants were entered and the ones who raised the most for charity won a dream marriage and £25,000,” said Mr Barradell.

“He and she were physically exhausted. He was doing everything he could as was she to raise money for charity. They aimed at £2,000 each per day but it was clear that things were getting to Lee Rowlands.

“On the night there was no indication whatsoever that anything was wrong but something snapped. It was a psychotic mental breakdown of rapid onset.”

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A top psychiatrist said later it was very rare in a man of his age. “If he had not been exhausted it would not have happened,” said Mr Barradell. “It played a significant part in the build-up.”

He went on: “He is desperately sorry for what he did. He can’t explain it and that makes it harder. But he is very fortunate that he will be able to start to rebuild his life. It will be a life together, supported by Miss Moir and his family.”

Judge Robert Moore jailed Rowlands for 28 months.

Because he has already served 13 months he will be released at half-way in a few weeks under licence. The judge told him: “It is an opportunity for you to be released and to continue with your rehabilitation.”

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