Knife attacker jailed

A man who went berserk with a knife and attacked his ex-girlfriend has been jailed for nine years.

Matthew Horncastle, 32, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, was convicted of wounding but cleared of attempted murder.

Antonia Galbraith, 24, who lives near Southend, Essex, and who three years ago was a contestant on Blind Date, suffered wounds to her head, face, chest, arms and buttocks after being stabbed 17 times.

She needed a blood transfusion and 13 hours of surgery after being attacked as she sat in a staff room at the salon in Leigh, Essex in March.

Charges denied

Unemployed Horncastle denied the charges during the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, saying he did not mean to kill Miss Galbraith or cause her serious harm.

The court heard that at one stage during the attack Horncastle embedded the knife in Miss Galbraith's skull and put his foot on her shoulder in order to give him enough leverage to pull it out again.

The court heard Horncastle had been unable to accept the break-up of their four-month relationship.

Horncastle told the court that he had spent much of the night before the attack drinking and taking cocaine.