Corwen man stabbed woman 37 times, left knife in her skull, then tried to kill boy

A man was jailed for life today for trying to stab a woman and boy to death. Ryan Wyn Jones, 27, of Corwen, Denbighshire[1] launched an attack of appalling brutality while "fuelled" with cocaine, Mold Crown Court heard today. He laughed as he stabbed woman in the face and body 37 times.

One blow was so forceful the tip of the 30cm long breadknife was lodged in her skull. He also stabbed a boy with the broken blade and then stabbed a girl in the back and neck in the attack which took place earlier this year in the Corwen area. The bleeding boy ran to a relative's home for help, standing in his doorway in a pool of blood. Jones fled but police found him[2] on a nearby bench, holding the knife to his own neck and crying.

Jailing him for life for attempting to murder the woman, the boy and unlawfully wounding the girl - with a minimum term of 20 years - a judge at Mold[3] Crown Court branded Jones highly dangerous.

He also admitted the possession of a knife in a public place. The woman's injuries were so serious she underwent 10 hours of surgery and now has a condition similar to a dementia patient equivalent to a mental disorder under the Mental Health Act, the court was told.

A multidisciplinary team worked on the woman and she was put in an induced coma only being discharged 12 days later. But she can't eat properly and is permanently scarred. Prosecutor Caroline Rees today said Jones had been working on May 4.

That evening Jones and the woman both took alcohol and cocaine. By 1am on May 5 Jones went to his mother's home, appearing "paranoid and under the influence of cocaine," Ms Rees said. The court heard he left his mother's home, after an exchange of messages with the woman, and went to her house.

He went in, picked up the knife from the kitchen and found the woman asleep. He then stabbed her repeatedly in the face and upper body as she was lying on the bed, Ms Rees said.

He was laughing and told girl to record it on her phone

He broke the blade in her head, with the tip lodged in her skull. A boy in the house pulled him off the woman but Jones then stabbed the boy in the neck with a broken blade.

A girl woke and heard the woman screaming. Jones stabbed her in the back and neck, laughing and telling her to record what happened on her phone. The boy went to a relative's house who found him standing in his doorway in his underwear in a pool of blood.

Both injured children were "drowsy", the court heard. Ms Rees said Jones "fuelled" with cocaine, then fled the scene. He avoided built up areas and threw the woman's phone, which he had taken from the house, down an embankment.

He went to a friend Dylan Anderson's house and asked for a cigarette and water. Ms Rees said: "He told Mr Anderson he was not going to see him again, started to cry and left." Then he threw his own phone in a river and sat on a bench. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here[6]

Armed police were called at 2.35am. Bodyworn and CCTV footage was some of the most "distressing" the judge said he had ever seen. Officers ordered Jones to stand up from the bench and put his hands on his head.

He was then taken into custody.[7] Following the attack, the woman, boy and girl were taken to Wrexham[8] Maelor Hospital. The woman was transferred to the Royal Stoke University Hospital for her surgery.

'Never-ending nightmare'

The girl remained at Wrexham and the boy was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital on Merseyside.

In a victim statement, the woman said: "I struggle to understand what made him want to hurt (me)." Her skull was partly removed and the blade's tip found. But she added: "I said to myself I was not going to die in the house that night.

I am incredibly lucky to still be alive. My family expected me to die." The court heard the woman's injuries included 13 stab wounds to her left arm, four to her right arm.

She remains under the care of a consultant neurologist. Afterwards she couldn't look at her bandaged self in the mirror until she felt mentally strong enough. She is permanently scarred and she has flashbacks.

In her victim statement, the woman's own mother said she went to the house that night and only noticed her daughter when her arm moved in a "red background". She thought the victim would die and she was filled with "adrenalin" but in slow motion". She went to Wrexham Maelor Hospital but followed her daughter to the Stoke unit.

The older woman called it all a "never ending nightmare". She is "so proud" of her daughter but is mentally exhausted.

The boy was a 'hero'

The court heard in another statement that the boy was "a hero" but "the trauma could live with him for many years". The girl still has "bad dreams" and wants reassurance that Jones is locked away.

Gordon Cole KC said Jones' guilty pleas show his client is genuinely remorseful. There was never any likelihood he would deny events and so compel his victims to give evidence. The judge Mr Justice Griffiths said these were pre-meditated attacks but it was a "miracle" no-one was killed.

He said the defendant had "gratuitously degraded" the woman, by spitting on her, and "gloried in wreaking violence on her and (the) children." He said: "You are a highly dangerous and untrustworthy person and you will remain so for the indefinite future and possibly for ever." He jailed the 27-year-old in the dock for life and set a minimum of 20 years before the Parole Board can consider whether he should be released on licence. But if and when that happens he will be on licence for the rest of his life.

Jones was also given concurrent jail terms of two years for unlawfully wounding the girl and six months for possessing a bladed article in a public place, with the knife at the bench. Speaking after sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Myfanwy Kirkwood said: "The crimes that Ryan Jones committed were truly horrific and the ordeal of terror that his victims went through is something that no person should ever have to experience. "Ryan Jones' actions will have a lasting impact on his victims, and I commend their bravery in coming forward to seek justice."

North Wales Police is committed to tackling violent crimes, and any report of such incidents will be treated as a priority. Live Fear Free can be contacted on 0808 801 0800

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References

1. ^ Denbighshire (www.dailypost.co.uk)
2. ^ Jones fled but police found him (www.dailypost.co.uk)
3. ^ Mold (www.dailypost.co.uk)
4. ^ North Wales school evacuated after pupil's phone catches fire (www.dailypost.co.uk)
5. ^ Ex-Amazon worker sent chilling emails to co-workers after being sacked (www.dailypost.co.uk)
6. ^ latest court stories here (www.dailypost.co.uk)
7. ^ taken into custody. (www.dailypost.co.uk)
8. ^ Wrexham (www.dailypost.co.uk)
9. ^ all you need to do is click this link and select 'Join Community' (chat.whatsapp.com)
10. ^ Privacy Notice (www.reachplc.com)
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