Gainsborough man denies attempted murder

Paul Owen Henry, from Lea Place appeared at Lincoln Crown Court accused of the attempted murder of Claire Louise Boswell, 44.

It is alleged that 46-year-old Henry attacked Ms Boswell at her home address on Glentham Road, Gainsborough on the afternoon of Thursday 15th September 2011.

Following the incident, she was taken to hospital and treated for serious stab wounds - including ‘potentially life-threatening’ liver injuries.

Mr Robert Underwood, prosecuting, told the court that Henry and Boswell had known each other as far back as their school days together before forming a relationship many years later.

The court heard how the relationship had broken down due to Mr Henry’s ‘violent’ behaviour before he was later handed a restraining order due to harassment.

The day before the attack, Henry was arrested for breaching his restraining order when he climbed up to a first-floor window to harass her at home.

The next day, magistrates handed him an eight-week suspended prison sentence. Afterwards, he called Ms Boswell to say “I’m out”, before making his way back to her home address.

“At around 5.15pm on 15th September, Claire was in her own home upstairs when she saw Paul Henry in her back garden,” said Mr Underwood.

“Mr Henry had climbed a fence to gain access to her garden. He then picked up a plant pot, hurled it through a large window and entered the kitchen where he picked up a knife.”

It is then alleged that Henry threatened to kill Ms Boswell and, armed with the knife, chased her upstairs into her daughter’s bedroom where he stabbed her in the right breast.

The court also heard of a 999 call where Ms Boswell pleaded for help.

She suffered a pierced liver and was taken to Lincoln Hospital, then transferred to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham where she remained for five days.

Following his arrest, Henry told police in an interview: “I have been systematically abused by her for ages. I just couldn’t take any more, but I didn’t want to kill her.”

“That day I just snapped and that was it really - end of.”

Henry admits throwing a plant pot through the window, entering the property and following her upstairs with a knife but claims that he only tried to talk to her, and that stabbing her was an accident.

The trial continues tomorrow.

Read more from the proceedings in this week’s Gainsborough Standard (available Thursday 11th October).