Last updated at 16:55, Friday, 20 July 2012

A WOMAN accused of trying to stab her partner and repeatedly ramming his van with her car has denied the charges and prosecution claims she had placed him under a curfew.

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Eileen Hogg told the jury at Preston Crown Court yesterday that an alleged knife incident at her home never took place.

She accepted later driving into Barry Davies’ parked van two or three times, but said she thought it would hurt his feelings and not hurt him physically.

The 61-year-old, of Abbotsmead Approach, Barrow, denies four charges of attempting to wound with intent, another of attempting to wound, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving.

The prosecution claimed in its opening on Tuesday that Hogg had gone at Mr Davies with a large bladed kitchen knife at their home and that, as he turned, she struck out with the knife. Mr Davies said he felt the knife go down his back.

It is further alleged that on the same date, January 23 this year, Hogg used her Vauxhall Frontera to repeatedly ram Mr Davies’ transit van in Newton Brow, Barrow, while he was inside the vehicle.

Giving evidence to the jury, Hogg said her partner had not been under any curfew, as suggested by the Crown.

Mr Robert Golinski, prosecuting, had claimed Hogg had placed Mr Davies under a 7pm curfew and he had broken it twice. Hogg also insisted she had not used a knife in any way against Mr Davies, but that he had simply gone out in his van. She had never picked up a knife, she said.

After he left the house she “got it in her head” that he had gone to the address of someone they both knew, someone she herself didn’t like. She went out in her vehicle to see if he had gone there, Hogg told the court.

She ended up parked in front of the van and looking at it – and Hogg thought he was in the address, talking about her, she said. “If I had looked up I would have seen him,” Hogg said.

“I didn’t look. I was just staring ahead.”

Hogg said she started the engine and drove at the van, going into it two or three times. “I heard a bump,” she told the court.

Hogg told the court she couldn’t describe the emotion she felt at the time, but was perhaps feeling “zombified”.

Miss Sharon Watson, defending, asked Hogg at one stage during the court proceedings: “If you are right, Barry has made up some terrible lies. Can you help the jury as to why?”

Hogg responded: “No, other than we were just not getting on. I don’t know why he has said it.”

The trial continues.

First published at 16:12, Thursday, 19 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk