How Alcohol Can Induce Violence

Alcohol affects individuals in different ways; some will become completely dependent on the substance while others can drink responsibly. For others, though, alcohol can drive them to acts of violence or aggression that can come as a shock to those who know the individual. This was certainly the case for Paul Todd, who was stabbed by his drunk partner as he tried to leave her property to avoid an argument.

Alcohol-Fuelled Rage

Thirty-two-year-old Emma Lee from Redditch stabbed her partner Paul Todd in the back with a kitchen knife in an alcohol-fuelled rage; a judge told her that she could have very easily killed him. Mr Todd’s barrister told the court that Lee had suddenly become ‘moody’ when she found out that Mr Todd was going to be attending a funeral of a family member the next day and that she was not welcome. She was also not happy as she thought that he was continuing to smoke after he told her he had stopped.

‘I Will Kill You’

Mr Todd told Lee that he was leaving as he did not want to continue arguing with her, and as he began to collect his things to leave, she said to him, “I will get a knife, and I will kill you”. Mr Todd thought she was simply making empty threats and proceeded to make his way out of the property. Mr Ball told the court, “He walked to his car. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, dropped his bags, turned around and saw she was stood there holding a black-handled kitchen knife with a 12-inch blade. He was aware of a warm feeling on his back and blood running down his leg.” During the attack, she said, “Don’t go or I will stab you.”

Terrified

Mr Todd managed to get into his car but explained that he was left terrified as Lee tried to break the car windows by stabbing them repeatedly with the same knife she had used to stab him; she also tried to use the knife to get through the roof of the car. At this point, Mr Todd began to feel sick as a result of his stab wound, so he drove to a nearby pub. He was then taken to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch where he needed to get stitches for the 2cm cut in his back. The police were alerted to the situation and arrested Lee once they found the knife, which was ‘bent with a red stain near the tip’. Scratches from where Lee had attempted to break through the car window were also identified.

Cry for Help

Mr Todd explained in an impact statement: “At the time of the incident, I was angry about what had happened. I have since had time to think, and I think it was more of a cry for help.” He was extremely forgiving about the situation due to the nature of Lee’s mental health and addiction issues. Lee’s defence, Nicholas Berry, said, “What is needed is a much greater and sustained intervention to help her. She has an unenviable past with anxiety and depressive episodes. There are issues of self-harm, recent suicide attempts and suicidal intention.”

Help and Support

If you are struggling with addiction and are unsure of how to deal with this issue on your own, get in touch with us here at Blue Skies Recovery. Our priority is to ensure that every person who enters our clinic with the intentions of overcoming their addiction can do so in a safe and comfortable environment. We offer a range of effective treatments that are extremely beneficial to those struggling with alcoholism. If you have any further queries, do not hesitate to contact us today.

Source:

1. http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/15066975.Woman_stabs_partner_in_the_back_with_kitchen_knife/