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Man jailed for latex glove attack | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A former US soldier who tried to murder his estranged wife by triggering her allergy to latex has been jailed for a minimum of 12 years. | |
Charles Henson, 39, put his rubber-gloved fingers in the mouth of Allison Phelps, 40, at her home in Gloucestershire in March. | |
Henson of Wisconsin, was also found guilty of unlawful wounding and attempting to administer poison. | |
A jury had heard Henson and Ms Phelps met through an online fetish website. | |
They had married in July 2005. | |
Mr Justice Royce told Henson on Wednesday: "It is obvious that the interest in sado-masochism was mutual. | |
"During the trial you made it clear that your belief in sado-masochistic relationships was that the male was the master and the female had to be the slave. | |
"In the few months after you married it became clear to me that Allison Phelps realised that your physical practices, or some of them, were more than she wanted. | |
Your belief that you should be master and a female should be your slave is a potentially dangerous concept Mr Justice Royce | |
"You are, in my judgment, a man with a warped mind, not in the sense of having a mental illness, but in the sense that your belief that you should be master and a female should be your slave is a potentially dangerous concept," he added. | |
He gave Henson an indeterminate sentence, setting a minimum tariff of 12 years for attempted murder. | |
The judge told Henson this meant he would not be considered for release on parole until he had served six years - but warned that as an indeterminate sentence had been imposed "you may never be released". | |
Bristol Crown Court had heard that the marriage failed and Henson returned to the US in February. | |
But he returned to the UK and went to the house in Crown Meadow, Coalway, where Ms Phelps was with her new partner, Michael Phelps. | |
Phelps was armed with two knives and wearing a latex glove. | |
He was discovered when Ms Phelps was woken by one of her dogs barking and by the smell of gas. | He was discovered when Ms Phelps was woken by one of her dogs barking and by the smell of gas. |
Ms Phelps said Henson pulled her head back by the hair then "suddenly, quite violently" put his fingers into her mouth. | Ms Phelps said Henson pulled her head back by the hair then "suddenly, quite violently" put his fingers into her mouth. |
Sore lips | |
Henson then told her she had four minutes to live and Mr Phelps lunged at him. | |
Mr Phelps suffered stab wounds to the leg during the struggle, and the jury convicted Henson of wounding him. | Mr Phelps suffered stab wounds to the leg during the struggle, and the jury convicted Henson of wounding him. |
Henson was cleared of the more serious charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and a count of aggravated burglary. | Henson was cleared of the more serious charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and a count of aggravated burglary. |
After the attack Ms Phelps said she suffered sore lips and ulcerations in her mouth. | After the attack Ms Phelps said she suffered sore lips and ulcerations in her mouth. |
Henson had denied all the charges against him. | |
He claimed that he had gone to Ms Phelps' home seeking a reconciliation. | He claimed that he had gone to Ms Phelps' home seeking a reconciliation. |