Pensioner stabbed son in neck with kitchen knife after argument over bank card
A pensioner who was ‘struggling to manage his son’s behaviour’ stabbed him in the neck with a kitchen knife during an argument.
Teesside Crown Court was told that Peter Simpson, 68, had ‘snapped’ before going to the kitchen for a knife and stabbing his adult son in the neck.
The court heard that the son has autism and ADHD and that Simpson found it difficult to cope with his behaviour.
Police had been called to his home in Stockton on multiple occasions following violent incidents from both Simpson and his son.
Prosecutor Michael Budge told the court that on July 29 last year, shortly after 4.00 pm, Simpson rang the police telling them that he had stabbed his son in the neck during an altercation and that his son was heard in the background saying the blood was ‘gushing’.
When officers arrived, Budge said: ‘(The son) was in the living room with a blood-soaked tea towel pressed against his neck.’
Simpson’s son told officers there had been an argument over a bank card.
Budge said: ‘He told his dad he did not want him to be arrested or go to jail.’
But, Simpson insisted on telephoning the police and reporting what he had done.
The son was taken to hospital where he was treated for the injury, which thankfully had not damaged any major vessels and he made a good recovery.
The court heard that Simpson told police during an interview: ‘I wasn’t going to murder him, I wouldn’t do that.’
Simpson appeared in court after admitting a charge of wounding with intent.
Defending lawyer Isabella Denn-White said her client struggled to manage his son’s behaviour and regular requests for money.
She said there was a ‘loss of control and ability to cope’ and cited bouts of depression, for which he never sought any medical attention.
She said it was due to him struggling to manage his son’s behaviour that ’caused him to act the way he did on that particular evening. Something snapped’.
Denn-White said: “He regrets everything that has happened and if he could take it away he would.”
She said his son has been struggling without his dad and that although the relationship is difficult the pair rely on each other. The barrister said her client had also been drinking alcohol at the time of the incident.
Judge Jonathan Carroll said that although the son did not want his father prosecuted the decision was taken out of his hands.
He said: ‘It is a great relief to everybody involved that in fact the injury was relatively low level. That is a matter of chance. This case could just have easily ended up in his death.’
Simpson was sentenced to four years and five months in jail and an order was made that any future contact with his son would have to be supervised.
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