Hunting Bow Horror: Husband Jailed for Attempted Murder

Man jailed for 17 years after hunting & stabbing wife with bow & knife in brutal domestic attack. Chilling 999 call & CCTV helped convict Stephen Carr. A 57-year-old man has been jailed for 17 years after being convicted of attempted murder for a brutal and sustained attack on his wife involving a compound bow and kitchen knife inside their family home. Stephen Carr was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court following a detailed trial which heard how he hunted and repeatedly stabbed his wife as she dialled 999 in a desperate attempt to survive.

The court was told the assault took place on 8 September 2024 at the couple’s home in Strensall, near York. CCTV from within the property showed Carr arming himself with a bow and arrow and telling his wife: “You are dying tonight,” before launching an attack that prosecutors said was “deliberate, persistent, and fuelled by alcohol and rage”. The victim, who was stabbed six times in the back, managed to survive the ordeal and later provided key testimony in support of the prosecution.

Carr’s wife had narrowly escaped being struck when he first drew the bow and fired an arrow at a door she had just shut. He then chased her through the property, continuing to fire arrows. The victim managed to break several arrows in an effort to disarm her attacker but Carr located more and fired three shots into a duvet under which she had attempted to hide in the bedroom. It was at this point she called 999. While she was crouched on the floor in a foetal position, Carr took a kitchen knife and stabbed her repeatedly, while she remained on the line to the emergency operator.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police arrived promptly at the scene, locating Carr in a shed on the property. The victim, seriously injured, received emergency treatment at the scene and was later transported to Leeds General Infirmary where she underwent surgery. She remained in hospital for several days. A WhatsApp message sent by Carr after the attack read: “I’m glad I didn’t do what I wanted to do. I did say you were pushing me to far [sic]. My bag [sic] sorry.”

Read more: Axe ambush on A2: two men jailed for brutal roadside attack

Carr was arrested at the scene and later interviewed. He offered no explanation for the attack. When charged, he initially pleaded guilty only to the lesser offence of causing grievous bodily harm, but denied attempted murder. However, during his trial, Carr gave evidence claiming he had only intended to scare his wife by drawing the bow and did not intend to kill her. He told the jury that if he had intended to kill her, his proficiency as an archer would have allowed him to do so. He suggested the events had stemmed from long-term stress, including full-time work, caring for his elderly mother, and increased dependence on alcohol. He claimed to have “blacked out” at the moment of the stabbing.