Man found guilty of attempting to murder his wife

A man who stabbed his wife multiple times before locking her in the family home and fleeing the scene has been convicted of attempted murder.

Mark Taylor attacked his partner with such force that the knife he was using snapped. The 57-year-old then grabbed a second knife and continued stabbing her before demanding she hand over her phone to him, saying he would call an ambulance for her.

He then said ‘this will be the end of you’ before locking the doors to the house in Baslow and driving away with the couple’s teenage son.

His wife tried to get help by shouting out of the letterbox before crawling up the stairs and shouting out of the front bedroom window, managing to catch the attention of a passing dog walker who alerted emergency services.

She suffered stab wounds to her neck, arm, chest and stomach and was taken to hospital for treatment after the attack, which happened on 15 February. 

Taylor’s car was captured on ANPR cameras 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 will be sentenced at a later date.

Mark Taylor

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.

“This could have so easily been a fatal attack and it is very fortunate that she survived this incident. However while her physical injuries may have started to heal, the emotional and mental impact will remain with her for many years to come.

“I hope that now Taylor has been convicted of this offence and will be spending some considerable time behind bars she will feel able to begin rebuilding her life and looking towards the future.”