Man smashed into girlfriend's home then stabbed himself to death after row, court hears

Lindsey Gabriel accused of murdering partner James Field in Cornwall

James Field died from a stab wound in September 2018. His girlfriend Lindsey Gabriel denies murder (Devon and Cornwall Police / SWNS)

A man smashed through a panel of his girlfriend’s front door and climbed inside before stabbing himself to death, a court has heard.

James Field bled to death on the pavement outside the house of Lindsey Gabriel in Bugle, Cornwall, in September last year after the pair had been arguing.

Ms Gabriel is accused of murdering Field, but she told Truro Crown Court on that all she could remember of the incident was him coming through the door and then there being blood across the floor and said she believed he stabbed himself.

She said she did not recollect making the 999 call in which she said Field was trying to stab her, but said she has a memory of mopping up the blood.

“I have a still image of unwinding the tissue paper and putting it over the blood,” she told the court.

She said: “The first thing I heard was a really loud bang and I saw him coming through the bottom of the door.

“I saw James climbing through the panel and then saw blood. The next thing I remember is being arrested for murder.

She told the jury she did not hide a knife in a drain in her back garden where it was later found, but suggested her 13-year-old son had put it there.

She told the court: “In my heart I think he did but didn’t want to get him in trouble. I didn’t see him do it.”

She said: “I don’t think my mind is letting me process what happened because it is too traumatic. I have different scenarios in my head and don’t know what’s real and what’s not anymore.”

The same day Ms Gabriel, who allegedly believed Field had been contacting other women, had cancelled the phone contract she had bought for him and telephoned Field’s employers and told them he was using illegal drugs.

She also vandalised a car Field had left outside her house, daubing the words, “cheat”, “waster”, “liar”, “player”, before wrapping it in paper, and later having it towed away, the court heard.

Asked why she had damaged the car, Ms Gabriel said: “I was pissed off with James and didn’t want it in my driveway.

"I know I shouldn’t have done it but I did. I figured if I wasn’t nice he wouldn’t come over again. When the car was taken I felt a relief because it was the last thing of his and then he wouldn’t come around again.”

Earlier this week prosecuting barrister Jo Martin QC told the court after Ms Gabriel damaged the car she had called Field and had been abusive to him and threatened to kill his grandmother.

“She was shouting, calling him a c*** and threatening to stab his gran,” the barrister told the court.

“She told him she’d got £150 for the car for scrap and said ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet boy. You think you can lie to me and f*** girls behind my back. You scummy smackhead you won’t have a job Monday. You think you’re using me but you’re only making me stronger. Good luck with your Facebook slags. I wasn’t enough for you f***ing granny flaps, f*** you James, you haven’t seen anything yet.’”

Field is then believed to have taken a taxi to Ms Gabriel’s house, stopping to visit his grandmother on the way.

In a text message sent by Ms Gabriel at that time, she threatened to shoot Field’s grandmother.

Field then arrived at the house and Ms Gabriel called 999. According to the prosecution, she left the phone with the call still open. Field’s voice could be heard asking where his car is, before Ms Gabriel is heard shouting “get out of my house, get out of my house,” repeatedly.

She then screamed that he had stabbed himself, and her son picked up the phone and spoke to the emergency services. When asked what happened, he said: “My old step dad rammed the door open and stabbed himself”, CornwallLive reports.

Field suffered a single stab wound that penetrated his ribs and into his heart.

Ms Gabriel denies murder. The trial continues.