A North Yorkshire man who hit his wife on the head with a metal bar has been jailed.
The victim said: “I thought I was going to die” after her husband’s brutal attack left her in a pool of blood on the floor.
James Blundell was today sentenced at York Crown Court to 30 months in prison, after previously pleading guilty to wounding with intent.
During an argument at their home in Goldsborough, near Knaresborough, he hit his wife Carleen in the face, then struck her on the head twice with an iron boot jack, causing her to fall to the floor and land awkwardly, tearing cartilage in her knee.
He then dialled 999 and told the ambulance service: “It’s my wife, we’ve had an argument, we had a fight, I’ve hurt her, it’s my fault, she’s injured, we need the police and we need an ambulance now.”
North Yorkshire Police officers arrived and saw James Blundell at the front door. Behind him, Carleen was lying in the hallway, covered in blood.
Blundell, who’s 54, and now from Southport, was arrested at the scene and taken into custody. There he told officers: “There is no excuse for what I have done… I’ve injured someone potentially fatally I have been with for 28 years.”
‘Rages and violence’
In a personal statement read to the court, Carleen said: “The incident has affected me in many ways.
“When it happened, I was petrified. I had got used to my husband’s rages and violent episodes over the years, but this was the worst it had ever been. I thought I was going to die.
“It was the first time I had felt that way. I felt powerless. In the days following the incident I felt disbelief. I was in shock that it had happened.”
Speaking after the hearing, Caleen said she now wants to use her experience to help others in similar situations.
She said: “I am living a completely different life, and I see myself as a survivor, not a victim. My aim now is to support others, and spread the word that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and there are positive outcomes.”
Carleen added: “I have learned from this process that the police are extremely well-versed in these cases, and they are a real lifeline.
“Like so many people, I was frightened to reach out for help – but in the end it was taken out of my hands.”
DC Abigail Garford of North Yorkshire Police said: “When I first met Carleen, it was clear that she was struggling both mentally and physically after the attack.
“She hadn’t known life without her abuser for 28 years, and the prospect of rebuilding her life was overwhelming.
“Carleen has worked extremely hard to reconstruct her life. With the help of her sons and medical professionals, and her own grit and determination, she now has a new perspective on life. She feels a sense of freedom, happiness and gratitude. She deserves nothing less.”
