Defendant in Attempted Murder Trial Claims No Memory of Stabbings

A court has heard testimony from a woman facing charges of attempted murder against her husband and a child, in which she stated she has no recollection of the day the victims sustained severe stab injuries. At Carlisle Crown Court, it was recounted that Mark Bennett awoke on June 10 to discover his wife, Jacqueline Mounsey, stabbing him in the neck. Testifying, Ms Mounsey described the night before as a “normal night,” despite her being “devastated” by her mother’s recent passing at that time. The 53-year-old defendant has pleaded not guilty to two charges of attempted murder and two charges of causing grievous bodily harm. Furthermore, she faces an accusation of stabbing a child twice in the neck on the same date within Carlisle’s Morton area. Andrew Ford, representing Ms Mounsey, inquired if she had any memory of the incident, to which she responded with “no.” A photograph depicting the child’s injury was presented to her, but she stated an inability to recall its origin. She similarly testified that she could not remember how her own injuries were sustained. A pathologist informed the court that the wounds the defendant had sustained were potentially “tentative or hesitant,” indicating they might have been “self-inflicted.” Additionally, the court was informed that Ms Mounsey had no recollection of being at a bail address, yet police video footage captured her stating, “I did it.” When questioned by Mr Ford about her perception of the footage, she responded: “I wasn’t my normal self.” During cross-examination, prosecutor Iain Simkin KC characterized her assertion of not remembering crucial events as “nonsense.” Mr Simkin questioned her regarding whether she had stabbed Mr Bennett and the child, and in both instances, she denied it. “How do you know?” Mr Simkin inquired. Ms Mounsey responded, “I would never do that to them. It wasn’t me. I would never do anything like that.” The proceedings, now in their second week, are ongoing.