Man jailed for stabbing partner and their pet dog

David McCorkell (38), of Barra Drive, Ballymena, was found unanimously guilty during his trial last year.

The jury returned guilty verdicts to offences of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, possessing an offensive weapon with intent, causing unnecessary suffering to a pet dog and causing criminal damage to a television and computer controller.

The trial heard that McCorkell and his victim, who have a child together, were in an “on-off-on” relationship on the night of December 11, 2017 he went to her flat where they consumed alcohol.

Belfast Crown Court was told that during the course of the evening an argument broke out, during which McCorkell assaulted the woman before stabbing her in the abdomen with a pocket knife.

The jury heard McCorkell prevented her from seeking immediate medical help for the knife wound, telling her: “You don’t need to see a doctor.”

It wasn’t until the next day after McCorkell left her flat that she contacted her mother and was then taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Prosecution barrister Mark Farrell said the wound measured nine centimetres by five centimetres but fortunately for the victim the knife did not penetrate into the abdomen and required three sutures.

During the trial, the jury was told that McCorkell also stabbed their pet dog twice after it had barked at him several times during the attack.

Judge Neil Rafferty QC handed McCorkell a six-year determinate sentence,