Man, 54, Who Tried To Murder Partner He Met Online Knifed Her 29 Times, Gets Life In Prison

A 54-year-old man, who tried to kill his partner whom he met on online by stabbing her 29 times, was jailed for life Friday.

Warning: Graphic content

Martina Turner, a 53-year-old college teacher from Gateshead, England "miraculously" survived the unprovoked attack by former soldier Steven Wood, reported Daily Mail. She had met Wood on dating website Match.com after deciding to try out internet dating two years after a previous 20-year marriage ended. According to Chronicle Live, having fallen for Wood's charm and generosity, Turner thought that he was her soulmate. But after Wood moved into her house in Winlaton Mill in Gateshead, his behavior started to become erratic as he wasn't taking medication for his mental health issues.

After Wood admitted to attempted murder, he was jailed for life at Newcastle Crown Court hearing. He needs to serve at least 12 years before he is considered for parole, reported BBC. When he tried to murder Turner in the kitchen of her house, he told her that he has to "finish you off because I'm not going to prison." Then he drove to the Redheugh Bridge in Newcastle and jumped into the River Tyne. He did so in an attempt to take his own life, but was rescued by a police boat.

When Turner was found, she was seen lying in a pool of her own blood with a knife stuck in her chest. She also had injuries across her body, hands and arms. Across her body, she had as many as 29 wounds from two knives. A stab wound was inflicted with such force that it fractured her ribs. It also caused her bone to become lodged in her lung, where it has remained.

Turner told the court that she was "so besotted, so much in love with Steven." She shared that the two had been living together for more than a year. Instead of spending their lives together, now she has to live with the act the man "I loved, that I tried to help, that I believed was charming, my soulmate, could turn into a monster and attack me, telling me when I begged for my life he would have to finish me off."

She noted that she ignored the "red flags." Wood had acted controlling and paranoid during the relationship. But she knew that he had mental health problems, including bipolar disorder. She accepted it and thought that he was an industrious and thoughtful businessman.

She initially thought that he was a "charming" man with similar interests to her, but now sees him as a "ticking timebomb" who has left her with scars that serve as a permanent reminder of his actions.