York man jailed for attempted murder of wife with bow and knife

Stephen Carr, aged 57, was convicted of attempted murder after launching a brutal attack on his wife, Lorna, at their home in Strensall, near York, on September 8. During the incident, Carr had drunk at least a litre of vodka and told his wife, "you are dying tonight." He pursued her around their house with a loaded compound bow, which he had previously used for target archery competitions, and fired multiple shots, hitting a door and then shooting three more times at his wife as she hid under a duvet. Carr then took a kitchen knife and stabbed her six times in the back while she was speaking with a 999 call handler. His actions were captured on CCTV cameras he owned. Despite the attack, Mrs Carr expressed in a letter to the judge that her husband was a "loving, caring, compassionate man" and she intended to continue their marriage. Carr was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 17 years in prison, with an additional three years on license after release. The court heard he had no prior history of violence, and this incident was considered a "one-off, out of character event" influenced by alcohol. North Yorkshire Police described the attack as terrifying, with Mrs Carr shouting, "Don't kill me Steve, please. Think of your mum." Officers responded promptly and arrested Carr at his home in their garden shed. Post-incident, Carr sent a message to his wife claiming he was pushed too far, saying, "I'm glad I didn't do what I wanted to do. I did say you were pushing me too far. Sorry." During his trial, Carr claimed he had blacked out and had no memory of the attack, and he denied intent, stating it was out of character and influenced by alcohol. Mrs Carr revealed she had forgiven him and trusted he would not hurt her again, describing him as "a very broken man" that night. Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Sygrove emphasized the horror of the incident, noting the terror of being shot with a bow and attacked with a knife by her own husband, and praised the response of officers and control room staff.