A MAN pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm after stabbing a woman repeatedly after she told him they would just be friends.

After a trial at Bristol Crown Court, Matthew Jones, of Ivy Avenue, Southdown, Bath, was cleared by a jury of charges of attempted murder and possessing a knife.

However, he previously admitting causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The court heard how 29-year-old Jones – formerly a teacher at Frome College – had been friends with Emma Kirk, 25, also from Bath.

While their relationship had briefly become romantic, he attacked her after she told him they would not be anything more than friends.

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He demanded that they meet, for her to return gifts he had bought her. She said by this time she was afraid of him but agreed to meet him and did so in a lane off Dransfield Way on February 26 last year.

At 4.20pm police were called because Emma had suffered multiple stab wounds and cuts to her neck, face, head, abdomen and hands.

Jones was being restrained by members of the public.

A woman who first raised the alarm said she saw Jones push Emma to the floor and attack her.

Even when the woman – who was with her young daughter – bravely began trying to intervene and film what was happening, Jones continued the assault.

It took five men to disarm him, drag him off Emma and restrain him until police officers arrived.

Emma’s injuries were described as life-threatening, with the prompt actions of the members of the public who came to her aid and the quick response of the emergency services credited with saving her life.

She needed emergency surgery and due to her injuries was unable to give officers an account of the attack until 10 days later.

In his initial interview, Jones gave police officers a prepared statement, in which he denied deliberately stabbing Emma, saying he was acting in self-defence, and he could only assume she was injured during their struggle.

Later, Jones entered a guilty plea to an offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, accepting that he did deliberately stab her, not in self-defence, but intending to cause her serious harm.

He continued to deny any intention to kill.

On Wednesday (April 2), after two days of deliberation, the jury at Bristol Crown Court returned not guilty verdicts on the counts of attempted murder and of possessing a knife.

Jones remains remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing on Friday, May 9, for the charge he admitted, of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.