Prostitute paid to slash wife

A man paid a prostitute to slash the throat of his estranged wife and then tried to cover up his part in the attack by getting a friend to help provide him with a false alibi, a court heard yesterday.

Gary Mitchell, 48, is said to have paid Samantha Davies to attack his wife, Sandra Mitchell, as she was taking their child to school in Admiralty Road, Yarmouth, a day before a county court hearing involving their divorce proceedings.

Davies, 40, grabbed Mrs Mitchell from behind and then slashed her across the throat leaving a gaping wound, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Christopher Morgan, prosecuting, said Davies then "planted" some drugs at the scene to make it look like Mrs Mitchell was involved in drugs.

In a statement, Mrs Mitchell said: "I screamed in panic. I did not feel the pain at first."

She put her hand to her throat and realised it was covered in blood and went to a nearby house and asked them to call an ambulance.

She was taken to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston where she was given a number of stitches to the wound. She also had a superficial slash to her

face.

Mr Morgan said Mitchell gave Davies some heroin and £100 to £200 in cash for carrying out the attack and Davies also claimed that Mitchell had made threats against her if she had not carried out his wishes.

He said that after the attack Mitchell and his friend, Ronald Bailey, tried to set up a false alibi saying they had spent the day buying parts for a car repair.

Davies, of Clifton Street, Norwich, admitted wounding Mrs Mitchell with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm, and Mitchell, of Willbye Avenue, Diss, is also to be sentenced for conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.

Bailey, of Cranley Road, Redingfield, Eye, in Suffolk, is also to be sentenced for conspiracy to inflict actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.

The case was adjourned until next week when all three will be sentenced.