A father of three, who slashed his ex-girlfriend’s neck with a kitchen knife while saying he loved her, has been jailed for eighteen years.
John Webster, 44 was seen having a disagreement with his former partner in a Camberwell pub, the day after she had travelled to London so he could see his children in March last year.
In the early hours of the next day, March 30, Webster left his home in Elmington Road, Camberwell, and was spotted just before 9am pacing up and down outside an address in High Grove SE18, where the 32-year-old victim was staying with a friend.
The victim left the property to speak to Webster who, after talking for fifteen minutes, launched a frenzied attack. He slashed his ex-partner’s neck with a kitchen knife and kicked her in the head and face, whilst telling the victim that he loved her.
The victim was helped back into her friend’s address but Webster kicked the front door’s glass panel in, crawled through and attacked her again with the shards of glass.
In what police described as a “vicious attack”, the victim was left with multiple stab and slash wounds to her neck and body, a fractured eye socket and a broken nose.
Webster left the address but was traced to his mother’s address six hours later, where he was still wearing the same blood-soaked clothes. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
Webster admitted causing the injuries to his ex-partner, but pleaded not guilty to a the charge of attempted murder. A jury found him guilty in December and on March 25 he was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court to eighteen years in prison, subject to a Section 45a hospital order.
A Section 45a hospital order deems that the convicted person will be treated in hospital as long as two doctors are satisfied that he is suffering from a mental disorder, which makes it appropriate for him to be detained in a hospital for medical treatment. When treatment is no longer necessary, the patient will be taken to prison to serve out the remainder of their sentence.
Investigating officer DC Anna Brown, from Greenwich Police’s CID, said: “Webster launched a vicious attack against his victim, leaving the mother of his children for dead. I would like to praise the victim for her courage and strength and for assisting us with our investigation. I hope that Webster will take the time behind bars to think about his actions and how they impacted on his family.”