Court hears Kendal man injured his girlfriend with kitchen knife (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Court hears Kendal man injured his girlfriend with kitchen knife

8:43am Monday 3rd September 2012 in News

A MAN from Kendal who injured his girlfriend with a kitchen knife claims he did it by accident when he was making a burger in the kitchen, a court has heard.

But the prosecution say 26-year-old Kirk Satterthwaite injured Alison Ediss deliberately.

Now a special hearing is going to have to be held at Carlisle Crown Court so a judge can hear evidence to decide just how the incident happened.

Satterthwaite, of Hallgarth Circle, Kendal, has pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm to Ms Ediss, but not on a basis that the prosecution accepts.

Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told Carlisle Crown Court that the couple had been in a “turbulent” relationship for two years.

“The hallmark of the relationship has been his taking drugs on a regular basis,” he said.

On the afternoon of July 14, he said, the couple had been drinking in pubs in Kirkby Stephen and, once back at Ms Ediss’s home Satterthwaite became agitated, saying he needed drugs and food.

He accused Ms Ediss of “winding him up”, then picked up a stainless steel kitchen knife and jabbed it at her, Mr Rogerson said.

The blade penetrated her shoulder and she went into the bathroom to try and stem the flow of blood.

When she went back into the kitchen Satterthwaite was eating a burger with the knife held between his knees.

He then wiped the knife over his trousers, as if to clean it, the court heard.

Mr Rogerson said that when interviewed after his arrest Satterthwaite said he was holding the knife and making a burger while arguing with his girlfriend.

He said he had been reckless with the knife and had caught her with the knife while waving it around.

He insisted he had not intentionally stabbed her.

The fact-finding hearing will be held at the Crown Court on September 17.

In the meantime Satterthwaite was remanded on bail on condition that he stays out of Kirkby Stephen and does not contact Ms Ediss.