Mum plunged knife into woman's throat in attack leaving her fed through tube
A mum who plunged a knife into a woman's throat in the middle of the street has been jailed.
Savanna Hawkes, 27, was living rough on the streets with her 28-year-old partner Daniel Fenwick when she stabbed her victim on the afternoon of July 21 of last year. A crowd of people watched as blood began to pour from the victim's neck on the road in Stockton, County Durham.
Hawkes's partner Fenwick was then seen putting his hands around the victim's neck. Teesside Crown Court heard that prosecutors could not be sure if he was trying to stem the blood flow, or cause further harm to the victim.
A crowd of people watched as blood began to pour from the victim's neck on the road, Teesside Crown Court heard (Terry Blackburn)On Monday, the court heard that the victim was walking along Hartington Road with her partner prior to the attack, reports Teesside Live. CCTV footage showed her chatting to someone in the street, before Hawkes is seen approaching and begins arguing with her. Seconds later, Hawkes put her hands in her pocket and pulled out a sharp object, stabbing the woman with what prosecutor Anthony Pettengell said was a kitchen knife. The weapon has never been found.
Fenwick then became involved in a more minor fight with the victim's partner. The court heard that Hawkes is the step-daughter of the victim's partner.
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The victim was taken to hospital, where the wound on her neck was stitched up. She also needed internal stitches after suffering serious damage to her throat and had to be fed through a nasal tube. Mr Pettengell said that the victim has been left with "extensive and obvious scarring."
In a statement read out to the court, the victim said: "I was in a hospital for a week having my neck reconstructed. I have been left with a five-inch scar on my neck. I thought I was going to die.
"I thought I'd never see my mother or children again. I don't want to go anywhere on my own now as I'm afraid I'll be attacked. My family are having to look after me. My PIP payment has been stopped because I was unable to send in paperwork when I was in hospital. I've had to move away from the area so my address is not known."
Hawkes and Fenwick were arrested and questioned. Hawkes initially denied it was her on the CCTV footage. When Fenwick was told that the victim had suffered a serious injury, and there were cuts to her partner's head, he replied "good for them" ,before calling the witnesses "lying c****."
Hawkes, from Stockton, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and to the possession of a bladed article in a public place. She also admitted two counts of assaulting an emergency worker. Her partner, Fenwick, of Somerset Road in central Middlesbrough, admitted affray.
Mr Pettengell said that in a separate incident, on January 16, police were called out to an address Middlesbrough. Hawkes was drunk and and approached the police car, slurring her words. She became aggressive when she was arrested: "When she was handcuffed, she kicked out at the officer's head," Mr Pettengell said. "At the police station, another PC placed his foot on top of hers, to prevent her kicking him. She spat directly in his left eye."
The officer said he had "never been so disgusted in my life - this female could carry a number of infections." The court heard that the police officer did not pick up an infection.
Rod Hunt, mitigating for Hawkes, told the court that personal reasons propelled her into a mental breakdown, which she sought to alleviate through drugs. The court heard that at a previous court hearing, Hawkes had instructed her barrister not to ask for bail, and that she had arrived at court with a bag packed full of clothes. Mr Hunt said: "She knows she has a long sentence to serve and she might as well get on with it. She sees it as the chance to clean herself up and make a new start. It's going to be a long clean up act."
Judge Richard Thomas told the couple, who appeared in court via video link from Low Newton prison and HMP Durham: "Last summer, the two of you were living on the streets, when violence broke out with people you knew. Ms Hawkes you caused your victim a nasty, penetrating wound which caused some damage to her internal throat area. This assault has had a significant affect on her."
Hawkes was jailed for six-years, while Fenwick was handed a two-year community order. He must take part in a six-month drug rehabilitation programme, attend 15 rehabilitation days and a 'thinking skills' programme.
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