A POSSESSIVE lover has been jailed for attempted murder after he repeatedly slashed his girlfriend’s face and neck with a kitchen knife.

Karl Molyneaux, 53, pleaded guilty to the offence at Newcastle Crown Court today and was sentenced to 13-and-a-half-years imprisonment.

On the evening of Wednesday, March 11, the South Shields resident, visited his partner’s family home in South Shields despite her asking him not to.

The care sector worker told him she wanted to spend the night with her children but despite this he came bearing flowers.

When his partner realised he was making one of the children uncomfortable she had a conversation with him in the kitchen and told him not to let the door hit him on the way out.

Molyneaux, of Eglesfield Road, then launched a brutal attack on her telling police he just ‘snapped’.

Sitting at Newcastle Crown Court Judge Paul Sloan QC said: “The rejection triggered a horrific and angry response. You went towards her as if to embrace her and picked up a kitchen knife. You launched a savage and sustained attack stabbing and slashing her repeatedly on the face, neck and torso as well as the right arm when she tried to fend off the blows.”

The court heard that Molyneaux was very keen to progress the relationship and proposed marriage even though he was not yet divorced.

Prosecution claimed that he also used to bombard his partner with text messages early in morning and late at night saying his life would not be worth living without her.

He was also very jealous of a relationship she had with a former partner and his child.

Judge Sloan added: “It was obvious you were very keen to progress a relationship proposing marriage even though you were not yet divorced. She made clear to you she wasn’t ready to make that commitment she also openly had a friendship with a former partner and his child. You clearly felt threatened and insecure by virtue of that relationship and your jealously manifested itself in controlling, possessive and obsessive behaviour. “

Following the attack Molyneaux fled the scene and called emergency services from a nearby service station reporting his actions.

The court heard that he had previous good character and served in the Army and Royal Air Force.

He also suffered from depression, and showed symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder.