The murderous girlfriend stabbed the ex-partner in the groin and armed herself with a hammer

A woman who killed her boyfriend had previously stabbed another partner in the groin and armed herself with a hammer.

Amanda McDonnell left Gerard Hand with a fatal knife in his chest after taking the gun in self-defence while involved in a drunken row at a friend’s flat on Church Walk in Bootle. After she was found holding her dying partner in her arms, she told police that “a guy jumped out the window and attacked him.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Friday, that the couple lived together in a two-bedroom flat at Stanley House on Washington Parade in Bootle, which was rented by Mr Hand, 44. But their relationship was described as “volatile and characterized by a mutual dependence on alcohol”.

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Benjamin Aina KC, prosecuting, outlined how they would often have verbal arguments after drinking, with police previously called to disturbances involving the pair. Mr Hand was said to have alleged violence from McDonnell seven times between September 2022 and September 2023, while she accused him of also subjecting her to violent behavior on seven occasions between the summer of 2022 and October last.

Shortly before 1.30am on November 22, 2023, both parties visited a Shell petrol station on Derby Road with their dog and bought alcohol for themselves and a homeless man on the forecourt. They were then seen on CCTV leaving for the adjacent Church Walk, where they entered the ground floor flat of a friend called Darren Edwards through the window, while the other man walked away in the direction of Crosby.

The night cashier at the garage recalled that McDonnell returned around 6 a.m. with a red mark near one of his eyes and a cut mark on his upper chest. The 44-year-old bought more alcohol and cigarettes before leaving again.

The North West Ambulance Service later received a call from Mr Edwards shortly before 7.45am saying Mr Hand had been stabbed “by another man”, who Mr Aina said was “information he must have inherited” from the defendant – who could be heard in the background “in extreme distress” and saying he had “lost a lot of blood”. Officers arrived about 10 minutes later and found the critically injured man in McDonnell’s arms, his hoodie covered in blood.

She claimed her boyfriend “got into a fight with a guy” and when asked if he had been stabbed she said “I think so”. The PCs noted that she was “slurring her words and unsteady on her feet,” while her clothing was bloodstained and she had injuries, including a bloody nose and a cut above her right eye, with a knot and bruises on her right hand.

After being taken to the bedroom and questioned about the incident, McDonnell replied that “some bastard came in and attacked him through the window” and added: “He jumped out the window and just attacked him. It was in the garage, it might have a security camera.”

McDonnell said this man also punched her in the face, telling officers, “I tried to stop him from getting out and he attacked me. I tried to pull him back and he attacked me.

“I think he did cocaine, like crack or s***. I do not know.

“I didn’t see anything, I just saw him and then he ran away.

“I ran after him. I told him “Get out of the house, I don’t like it” and he attacked me.

“I never saw him. But I’m on CCTV over there in the Shell garage.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen him. I can’t believe he jumped out the damn window and attacked him.”

When asked why Mr Hand was attacked, McDonnell replied “drugs” and said “but he owes money”. After being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, she added: “He shouldn’t be dealing drugs, should he?”

McDonnell was told she was taken into custody at Copy Lane police station, at which point she stated “I didn’t do anything to her”. The kitchen knife used to inflict the stab wound was later recovered from a kitchen drawer.

Meanwhile, Mr Hand was rushed to Aintree Hospital by air ambulance in a critical condition after suffering a 2-3 inch gash under his left armpit. He was pronounced dead at around 10.45am the same day.

During the interview, McDonnell told detectives that they had both been drinking at home since 4pm the previous day. Mr Hand consumed between eight and 12 cases of lager and a quarter of a case of wine, while she drank the rest of the wine.

Around midnight, she reported that she stopped drinking and made a cup of tea. But her partner “wanted more” alcohol and allegedly began punching, kicking and pulling her hair.

Mr Hand was said to have poured the tea over her before smashing the cup against a wall. Mrs McDonnell then agreed to go with him to buy more alcohol at the petrol station, where they bought eight cases of beer, vodka and wine, as well as four other beers for a man who had asked them for money.

While there, they saw that Mr. Edwards’ lights were on and heard music coming from his apartment and decided to pay him a visit. They then spent the next few hours drinking, watching TV and listening to music.

At one point the man from the garage walked past the window and joined them for a drink. But Mr Hand “started to get jealous” and told the man to leave, which he did.

He was later said to have assaulted Ms McDonnell by punching her in the nose, trying to bite her fingers and “stabbing her around the neck”. She recalled landing on the floor and managing to crawl into the kitchen, where she armed herself with a knife and pointed the tool at him and “told him to stay away from her.”

But Mr Hand “then lunged at her” and was injured when it “came into the knife”, after which she fell to the floor and began coughing up blood. Ms McDonnell claimed she “didn’t try to stab him” during the incident.

Mr Aina added: “In all the circumstances, the prosecution accept that she did not intend to cause the death of her partner or any truly serious harm. Her intention was to end the argument.”

McDonnell’s previous convictions include receiving a community order in February 2015 for possessing a bladed article in a public place after stealing a £1.99 kitchen knife from a DIY store following a drinking sessions with her ex, then unwrapped the item and brandished it. is in the street She was meanwhile fined by magistrates for public order offenses in April 2021.

The court also heard that another former partner, Lawrence Price, was found by paramedics with a puncture wound to the groin following a row with McDonnell, who claimed she stabbed him in self-defence. During another incident, she was said to have armed herself with a claw hammer after being assaulted by a man named Carl Davies to “frighten” him.

Anne Whyte KC, defending, told the court her client’s convictions following the death of her mother, which were said to be “the trigger for her descent into alcohol abuse and mental health problems”. She added: “She had a few years before she got criminal convictions.

“They seem to be related to life events. There is some evidence that Mr Hand was violent towards the defendant, unfortunately.

“She has clearly provided support and confidence to other women incarcerated. She began, as quickly as possible, to use the opportunities offered in prison to change her thinking and her alcohol abuse.”

McDonnell admitted manslaughter on the grounds of excessive self-defence. Appearing in the dock with black hair and wearing a black floral top, she was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years – of which she will have to serve two-thirds before becoming eligible for release on licence.

Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: “Gerard Hand was described as a likeable and intelligent man, a larger than life character and a gentle giant. He was a man who loved the company of others and loved listening to music.

“His violent death has brought pain and sadness into the lives of many people who loved and cared for him. His loss will be deeply felt by his mother, daughter, brother, sister and the nieces and nephews who are now left. only with their memories of a man who was such an important part of their lives.

“You are responsible for this loss and now you must be punished for it.

“It is clear from the injuries seen by the police that you were the victim of violence at the hands of Gerard Hand on the day of the fatal incident and I accept that as a result you may have picked up the knife in anticipation of further violence. This was not a premeditated crime.

“It was an offense committed in the heat of the moment when you were involved in a domestic dispute and under the influence of alcohol. No doubt you were a victim of domestic violence at the hands of a previous partner, which I accept can be influenced. your reaction to any threat Gerard Hand poses.

“I am satisfied that the main cause of your offending on this occasion was your abuse of alcohol.

“I have noted the constructive use you have made of the time you have spent in custody so far. I accept you have shown genuine remorse for taking Gerard Hand’s life.”

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