Domestic fracas over finances ends in stabbing

Monday 05 December 2016

Jersey's Magistrate’s Court has heard how Susan Ann Louis stabbed her former partner, who then spent the rest of the evening drinking in a town centre pub, before sleeping rough in the toilet block on the Esplanade.

Louis was only charged after she telephoned police to tell them she had used a knife on her ex-partner, following a row at her flat last month.

The 52-year-old, of Georgetown Road, St Saviour, admitted an offence of grave and criminal assault and will be sentenced on 23 December to allow for probation service reports to be completed.  

Police Legal Advisor Ann Reddrop said: “This was a stabbing which occurred in a domestic situation.

“It was the defendant herself that told the police about the incident and they would not have known anything about it if she hadn’t telephoned after the incident took place. She told the force controller exactly what happened.

“There are very unusual features in this case. The victim left the flat after being stabbed in the left shoulder and went to a pub where he continued drinking. He told friends there had been an altercation and showed them a mark on his back. He did not go to the hospital or the police and spent the night in the toilets on the Esplanade.

“He went back into the pub the following morning, where police found him.

“There is no medical evidence in this case because the victim did not receive any medical assistance.

“The argument itself was one based on finance. The defendant said he was not making a full contribution to their domestic arrangements, such as heating and electricity. She lost her temper and told him he could go back to another woman.

“He gave her two sets of keys, not four. The defendant said the other keys were for another woman’s premises and she was correct in that.

“There were a really odd set of occurrences here. This was a heat of the moment incident in the kitchen and a knife was used. It was a stabbing through a protective high viz jacket and other clothing. The amount of force used, we do not know.

“The victim is OK and has not needed any treatment.”

Magistrate Peter Harris told Louis the case would not have come to court had it not been for her telephone call to the police.

He said: “You telephoned the police and that, in particular, means this court can deal with this matter.

“The probation service will prepare a report for sentencing on 23 December.”

Louis was remanded in custody and there was no application for bail.