A gambling addict who stabbed his wife in the neck after she tried to end their marriage has been jailed.
Leslie Marshall inflicted a stab wound "one or two centimetres" away from his wife's heart after he arrived home from taking their twins to school, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
The 51-year-old dad-of-four attacked Amanda Marshall the morning after she called time on their marriage as a result of his addiction.
READ MORE:
She survived the terrifying knife attack after fighting her husband off and escaping over a fence in the back garden, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Amanda, who works in personal injury claims, was the main breadwinner of the family while her husband worked as a chef for a care company.
The court heard how their Southport home had been remortgaged multiple times and the family were struggling with debt due to his gambling, which is believed to have resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of pounds.
Amanda asked for a divorce from her husband of more than 25 years on June 24 this year after she became suspicious that he had gambled away his monthly earnings.
He normally transferred around half of his salary to her to help the family pay off his debts - but he said he had just pennies in his bank account, the court heard.
The next day, Marshall took their kids to school before coming home to his wife, who insisted she still wanted to end their marriage.
As Amanda sat at her desk to start working just after 9am, Marshall unwrapped his chef's knife, walked up to her and stabbed her in the neck.
Ben Jones, prosecuting, said the victim looked up at her husband and said "Les, what are you doing?", before trying to phone for help.
The court heard how Marshall grabbed the phone off her and blocked her path as she tried to escape the room, stabbing her four more times across her upper body.
After his wife ran to the front door, Marshall held her hand on the handle to stop her from opening it.
Managing to free herself, she ran through the house and out the back door, climbing over the fence before being found by two workers at a nearby garage.
Both men were later commended by the judge for their actions.
Amanda, who needed immediate life saving surgery at hospital, has been left with psychological trauma and scarring to her neck that is expected to last forever.
Police found Marshall hiding in a bedframe when they arrived at the house and discovered that he had attempted to kill himself with the same knife he used to attack his wife.
Lloyd Morgan, defending, said Marshall expressed deep remorse for the attack and that the attack had destroyed the family.
Mr Morgan said: "There is no getting away from the fact that Amanda will bear emotional and physical scars but a family has also been fractured and destroyed.
"Leslie Marshall is wracked with guilt. He also recognises that no sentence however long will assuage the feelings felt by his wife and children."
Sentencing Marshall for attempted murder on Tuesday (November 9), Judge Andrew Menary, QC, said it was clear to him that Marshall was trying to kill his wife when he attacked her.
The judge told him: "You said to the doctor and to the probation officer that you simply wanted to scare her.
"But I reject that suggestion as utter nonsense.
"It is clear from everything that then happened that you intended to kill your wife and made a determined effort to do just that.
"Despite a terrible injury to her throat, exposing her windpipe, she fought for her life."
Judge Menary said Marshall's reaction to the "constellation" of events that led up to his attack demonstrated his risk to the public and said that "in trying to destroy your wife, you have destroyed your family".
The judge found Marshall was a "dangerous offender" and jailed him for 19 and a half years, with an extended five years on licence.
Speaking after the sentencing, DCI Matt Caton of Merseyside Police said: “Although his victim survived this appalling attack, there is no doubt that the actions of Leslie Marshall in June have devastated the lives of not only his victim, but the entire family.
“Today he begins a significant prison sentence, which we hope at least helps the ongoing healing process they all face."
Marshall must serve at least two thirds of the custodial term - 13 years - behind bars, before he can apply for parole.
He will then only be released before the end of the sentence if the Parole Board no longer considers him to be a risk.
A restraining order also bans him from contacting Amanda except through solicitors or the family court.
