Posted on 05/06/2006 11:20:58 AM PDT by aculeus
A woman who stabbed her husband's former mistress 18 times in a jealous rage was cleared of attempted murder yesterday.
Alethea Foster, 61, gasped and stumbled in the dock after a jury of nine women and three men acquitted her of intentionally trying to kill or harm Julie Simpson, 45, a mature student at Cambridge University, last October.
But she was sentenced to 30 months in prison for causing grievous bodily harm after stabbing her in the neck, face, head, chest and back, leaving her with a punctured lung, blind in one eye and disfigured for life.
Cambridge Crown Court heard that Foster, who until her retirement was chief podiatrist at King's College Hospital, London, launched the attack after she uncovered e-mails suggesting Miss Simpson had been having a 16-year affair with John, 58, her husband of 35 years.
Foster looked dazed as Judge Gareth Hawkesworth told her he had no choice but to impose a custodial sentence for the injuries she had caused. She was ordered to serve 15 months.
The judge said: "The harm involved cutting and stabbing her 18 times with a knife, leaving her with disabilities which will remain with her for the rest of her life, and scarring her both physically and no doubt mentally.
"I accept undoubtedly that you acted out of character. By the jury's verdict it is plain that you did not take the knife with you to attack Julie Simpson. It is equally plain that you were depressed, and that there is every likelihood had you not been depressed this would never had happened.
"There are many victims, not just Julie Simpson. There is also your husband and I have no doubt that in your normal frame of mind you wouldn't have been able to cause harm to another being."
Foster, of Bromley, south-east London, was portrayed as a woman unable to come to terms with her husband's infidelity and betrayal. The jury heard that on Oct 3 last year she travelled to Cambridge to meet Miss Simpson, a close family friend, in her room at Lucy Cavendish College.
Before leaving home, she had wrapped a kitchen knife in tissue paper and put it in her handbag.
During their discussion she remembered Miss Simpson laughing before feeling "this great wave of disgust and irritation". She grabbed the knife and attacked Miss Simpson.
Foster, who had denied attempted murder, claimed that she had no recollection of the attack. She said she took the knife with the intention of taking her own life in front of Miss Simpson.
Outside court, Mr Foster, a retired BBC political correspondent, said: "I still find it almost impossible to believe that the kind, caring and gentle woman with whom I have lived for the best part of 40 years could be capable of doing such a thing.
"The bail conditions have prevented me from seeing or speaking to my wife for almost six months. It's right that I should talk to her privately before making any decisions about the future."
No, if she had stabbed him 20 times, that would be different.
No, if she had stabbed him 20 times, that would be different.
Another example of the decay of Western Civilization...
Only the decay of Western juries.
Distant Kennedy relation located in UK.
By the jury's verdict it is plain that you did not take the knife with you to attack Julie Simpson.
Square with this:
Before leaving home, she had wrapped a kitchen knife in tissue paper and put it in her handbag.
Name an innocent reason one carries a butcher knife wrapped in Kleenex in one's handbag?
Had she shot a burglar in her own home she would have been in big trouble.
"How does this:
By the jury's verdict it is plain that you did not take the knife with you to attack Julie Simpson.
Square with this:
Before leaving home, she had wrapped a kitchen knife in tissue paper and put it in her handbag."
It tells you how it squared in the article:
"She said she took the knife with the intention of taking her own life in front of Miss Simpson."
You can think what you like about the veracity of that, but it tells you the reason.
Killing your spouse's lover "in the heat of passion" used to be a mitigating circumstance. But despite her assertion that she brought a kitchen knife with her to kill herself, I find it very difficult to believe that this was not a premeditated killing.
Contrast this with the farmer who defended his home by shooting a burglar who threatened his life, and was given a sentence of life in prison for it.
Justice in England is very badly distorted.
Hell hath no fury like a scorned foot doctor. It's interesting that about the only place she didn't stab that woman was on her tootsies.
"There are many victims, not just Julie Simpson.."
How twue, how wery twue. It's just that Ms. Simpson is the one who was left with a punctured lung, blind in one eye and disfigured for life. I'll bet anything that Ms. Simpson would trade 30 months of her life to get back her complete eye sight and unscarred face and body. Instead of 2 l/2 years in prison like Dr. Foster, she's got a life-long sentence now.
It's right that I should talk to her privately before making any decisions about the future."
That's right, take her into the kitchen and have a nice long talk with her, not that she'll remember it later.
She no doubt intended to open
some mail en route!
We keep hearing the line:
"Since you weren't in the
court room to hear the
evidence first hand, it is
not right to judge the
deisions of the jury."
Just reaffirms the truth
of the old platitude re
the verdict depends on
which party has the best
lawyer!
Quite a challenge but I'll try.
In case you run into an escaped side of beef?
it tells you the excuse that didn't work for Betty Broderick...What are the stats on people who go to someone else's home with a weapon and then does no harm to them but kills themselves????
What are the stats on suicide by knife - except, perhaps cutting wrists, which, if in front of someone, will hardly be fatal - unless that person decides to shrug and walk away..
In case one needs to perform emergency amputation of a very runny nose.
You ran out of Viva paper towels and you couldn't lower yourself to wrap it in Great Northern toilet paper?
Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable.
"Justice in England is very badly distorted."
That may or may not be the case, but I am always wary of second guessing the decision of a jury when they have had the opportunity to listen to all the evidence, arguments for both sides and all I have is a news summary.
That's the case here and is the case in the Tony Martin case that you reference. In that case Martin was found guilty by a jury that had heard all the evidence, a verdict that was confirmed on appeal. He wasn't, though 'given a life sentence for shooting a burglar who threatened his life' as you say - if the jury had found that to be the case they would have acquited (on the murder charge in any case, I believe there were other charges based on the fact that Martin's guns were not licenced). The facts as established by the jury was that Martin shot the burglar in the back while he was running away from the property, having been disturbed, and was not posing any threat to Martin's life. That was why he was convicted.
June Cleaver would know.
Gee, she's lucky she stabbed somebody with it or she would have been thrown in jail for ten years for carrying a pointy knife.
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