Former councillor stabbed ‘defenceless’ wife as she soothed their baby

The former councillor left his wife for dead on the bathroom floor
(Picture: South Wales Police)

A former councillor who stabbed his wife in the back in an attack described as the ‘ultimate act of cowardice’ has been jailed for 18 years.

Darren Brown, 35, attacked his wife, Corrine Brown, with a knife at their home in Wildmill, Bridgend, while she ‘was at her most vulnerable’ and placing a dummy in their child’s mouth.

Brown, who was an independent member of Bridgend Town Council at the time of the attack on 10 July last year, was convicted of attempted murder by a jury at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

Describing the ‘brutal, sustained attack’ during sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkin said the pair, who had separated but were still living together, had been arguing because Brown’s wife had ‘fallen out of love with’ the then councillor.

As the ‘defenceless’ mother went to soothe their baby, who had been woken by the row, Brown stabbed her twice in the back, before chasing her to the bathroom to stab her again, he said.

Brown initially claimed his wife had become injured as he tried to take a knife off her, but he later pleaded guilty at court to wounding with intent, although he denied attempted murder.

He resigned from Bridgend Town Council two months after his arrest.

In a statement read to the court the former councillor’s wife said: ‘I suffer flashbacks and nightmares and can still feel pain when Darren stabbed me.

‘I know Darren was hurting. But I didn’t deserve what he did to me. He could have walked away got help. Instead he stabbed me a third time and left me for dead.

‘Luckily the children are too young to understand what happened. One day I will have to explain to them that their father tried to kill me. I didn’t rob Darren of his future and time with his children.

Corrine Brown, who sustained a punctured lung during the attack, has made a full recovery since the attack.

Darren Brown was sentenced to 18 years for attempt murder
(Picture: South Wales Police)

During police searches of their house, they uncovered evidence of years worth of controlling behaviour from the possessive husband towards his wife.

Police found locks on the exterior of every door in the house, as well as evidence of internal CCTV cameras.

Brown, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said, had become ‘withdrawn jealous and controlling,’ also installed a camera hidden under the bedside table in the victim’s bedroom, which was active at the time of the stabbing.

The recording device provided crucial audio evidence that corroborated the victim’s account, including audio of Brown kicking through the bathroom door after his wife had sought refuge there.

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Hannah West of the CPS said: ‘This was a shocking and violent attack. Darren Brown deliberately obtained the knife and brought it upstairs with him, using it when the victim was at her most vulnerable.

‘Any one of the wounds could have been fatal and the evidence we presented to the jury demonstrated Brown’s intention was to kill his wife.

‘It is difficult to imagine how terrifying this must have been for the victim.

‘Our thoughts remain with her and we hope she can take comfort from knowing her husband has been brought to justice for this appalling attack.’

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