A 58-year-old man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for the attempted murder of his former partner, an attack that involved stalking her in a public park and sparked a four-day manhunt.
James McKenna of Carmarthen was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of attempted murder. The incident occurred on January 29 when he waited for 49-year-old Joanne Sidaway to enter Carmarthen Park with her dog before launching a premeditated assault.
McKenna stabbed Sidaway multiple times, including three strikes to the chest area near her heart. He subsequently fled the scene, abandoning a rucksack containing the weapon at a nearby allotment before hiding in a woodland area for three days without food or water.
He was eventually arrested at Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth while receiving treatment for suspected frostbite. During the trial, McKenna admitted to carrying the sharpest kitchen knife from his home with the intention of causing serious harm, though he claimed he did not intend to kill her.
Judge Paul Thomas KC described the attack as “wholly calculated,” noting that McKenna had stalked Sidaway earlier in the day with the same violent intent. The judge emphasized that Sidaway survived only because she was wearing multiple layers and a thick winter coat, which absorbed some of the blows, and because a neighbor intervened after hearing her screams.
“You left her to die in the bushes,” Judge Thomas stated, adding that McKenna only surrendered after developing frostbite from sleeping rough. The court heard that McKenna had a prior conviction for assault against an former partner in 2016.
Caroline Rees KC, defending, cited McKenna’s expressed remorse as a mitigating factor. However, prosecution representative Lucy Mansfield of the Crown Prosecution Service described the actions as “cold and calculated” and a “shocking act of violence.”
Sara Kirkpatrick, chief executive of Welsh Women’s Aid, highlighted the prevalence of post-separation abuse and stalking, describing the incident as a carefully planned act by an individual who chose a specific location and identified his victim’s movements.
McKenna will serve two-thirds of his sentence in custody before being released on license.
Shocking that he walked away with only frostbite while she nearly died. I hope Joanne gets full support during her recovery.
Twenty-four years for attempted murder is just. The premeditation and the manhunt show how dangerous post-separation stalking can be.