Matthew Jones stabbed Emma Kirk 15 times in a savage rage, calling himself “a monster” after his arrest

A quiet evening in Bath turned into a scene of sheer horror when a jealous ex-boyfriend launched a frenzied and near-fatal knife attack on a young teacher who dared to move on.

Matthew Jones, 29, ambushed 25-year-old Emma Kirk in a secluded lane on 26 February last year, stabbing her 15 times in the neck, face, and head after she ended their relationship. Witnesses were left shaken, describing Jones as “a man possessed” as he unleashed pure fury with a blade, refusing to stop even as bystanders screamed.

Emma’s lungs were punctured. Her hands were shredded from trying to protect herself. Blood soaked the street as her life hung by a thread. It took five men to finally pull Jones off her, and even then, he continued to strangle her in a terrifying frenzy.

An off-duty police officer, nearby residents, and paramedics saved her life that night—but only just. Emma was placed in a coma for a week. Doctors told her family it was a “miracle” she survived the savage butchery.

Her road to recovery, however, has been anything but miraculous. In court, Emma spoke with bravery about her spiralling PTSD, crippling depression, and the deep betrayal she felt. Jones, she revealed, had been someone she once trusted—a fellow teacher and friend.

Bristol Crown Court heard how Jones became obsessed, unable to accept rejection. Prosecutors laid bare his disturbing descent into dangerous control and delusion. “If she didn’t want to be with him, she wouldn’t be with anyone,” they said.

The court rejected Jones’s attempts to twist the truth. He claimed Emma had brought the knife herself. It didn’t wash. When police arrested him, he confessed: “Don’t show me any respect. I am a monster. I don’t deserve it.”

Judge Julian Lambert agreed. He called the attack “ferocious and rarely seen in this court,” declaring Jones a serious danger to the public. “Your conduct was brutal. You carried out a sustained and violent attack on a defenceless young woman. You are dangerous and present a high risk of future harm.”

Jones was jailed for 12 years. He must serve at least eight before parole can even be considered. An indefinite restraining order has also been placed, barring him from ever contacting Emma again.

Despite the sentence, many are asking the hard questions: why was Emma’s safety ever in the hands of a man like this? Could the signs of obsessive, coercive behaviour have been spotted earlier—and stopped?

This wasn’t just a violent outburst. It was a brutal act of control, power, and revenge. A young woman was nearly killed simply for wanting to live her own life. She will live with those scars—mental and physical—for the rest of her days.

As Britain faces rising rates of violence against women, campaigners are once again demanding stronger protections from obsessive ex-partners. How many more must come close to death before real change is made?

Emma Kirk survived. But only just. The nation must ask: how do we stop the next Matthew Jones?