Chainsaw man faces life sentence

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The 52-year-old husband of a solicitor is facing a life sentence for attacking her with a chainsaw at their home.

Patrick Darragh admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on wife Claire Bates at their home near Thrapston, Northants, in May this year.

Darragh was facing a charge of attempted murder which he denied.

Timothy Spencer QC, told Northampton Crown Court the plea to a lesser charge was acceptable but the judge said he would still consider a life sentence.

Darragh, a civil engineer originally from County Tyrone, attacked Ms Bates with a chainsaw during an argument outside Denford Lodge Cottages in Denford, near Thrapston.

He was arrested soon after when a member of the public reported seeing a woman covered in blood.

Assessment of danger

Mr Spencer told the court that Ms Bates now "very, very frequently" visited Mr Darragh in prison.

"It would seem to be her firm intention to forge some kind of reconciliation," he said.

However, the attack on Ms Bates was "chillingly reminiscent" of a similar one he had been convicted for in 1998 on a previous partner, said Mr Spencer.

"This man must have had his wife at his mercy with a working chainsaw, yet she came away with relatively light wounds, but that does not belittle its seriousness," he said.

Adjourning the case until next month, Judge Charles Wide QC said he wanted an assessment of Darragh's level of danger to his partner or the public in general.

He also said he was considering life or an indefinite sentence for public protection because "he has a long history of serious violence towards partners".

Ms Bates has previously worked for the Crown Prosecution Service, Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council's legal service departments.

Darragh was remanded back into custody.