Judge imposes indefinite jail term on ‘wicked’ knifeman

Initially police officers were told that Sally Hepworth had been attacked in the street by an unknown man armed with a knife who had left her with injuries and covered in blood.

Alisha Kaye, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court the victim’s boyfriend Alexander McLaren even took officers to the scene of the alleged incident after she had been taken from his home to hospital.

It was only when she was at Leeds General Infirmary the truth emerged.

She said it was there the victim broke down and admitted it was McLaren who was responsible for her injuries.

The prosecutor told Leeds Crown Court yesterday the woman described later how he had been drinking before they argued and he had gone into the kitchen and returned with a knife and started stabbing her.

Ms Hepworth put her arms up to protect her face which was cut and he had continued stabbing. She was found to have cuts to her arms and more wounds on her right hand with the tendon on one finger severed.

She was vague about what had happened and was not sure if she had lost consciousness or fainted at the sight of the blood.

Miss Kaye said McLaren received 18 months in custody in 2006 for a previous domestic assault and on May 5 last year he was given a community order for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the current complainant.

McLaren, 29, of Parkway Towers, Seacroft, Leeds, admitted wounding with intent on March 30 this year and was given an indefinite jail term for public protection.

Ordering him to do a minimum of three years, Judge James Spencer QC said: ”It was a ferocious attack and prolonged” on a victim in a vulnerable position.

“She was wounded in the face, she was wounded in the arms but most seriously perhaps in the hands because she was trying to protect herself.”

“It was wicked and proves beyond any doubt in my judgment you present a danger of serious harm to the public.”

Kate Batty, for McLaren, said he accepted it was an aggravating feature that he was on a community order at the time of the attack but, according to his partner, his behaviour during the period in between the offences against her had been caring, with no domestic callouts to the police.

Unfortunately, when in drink, however, he was disinhibited and it was his behaviour under the influence of alcohol that according to the reports made him a risk to the public and had contributed to the events in March.

He maintained it was his partner who had come up with the story that she had been attacked in the street because she was embarrassed and did not want to tell the truth.