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On 29 January, McKenna lay in wait for Sidaway as she entered a park with her dog, concealed in the bushes with the intent to attack. The trial at Swansea Crown Court revealed that McKenna’s anger stemmed from the end of their relationship a few months prior. It was described as fortunate that Sidaway survived, with her heavy winter coat playing a significant role in lessening the harm. McKenna admitted he had brought along his sharpest kitchen knife that morning specifically to cause her harm but insisted he did not intend to kill her.
During the proceedings, McKenna explained to the jury that he wanted to inflict “serious harm” but denied any intention to murder. He expressed feelings of rejection: “I felt she was reluctant to re-engage with me, and not even say hello.” When Sidaway approached, he stabbed her repeatedly in “a rage of anger,” aiming for her shoulder and upper body. The attack ceased only after Sidaway shouted for him to stop and a neighbor intervened by shouting. Susan Edwards, the neighbor, testified hearing “high-pitched screaming” and saw bushes shaking before a man fled the scene. Following the attack, Sidaway contacted emergency services, stating, “I’ve been stabbed by my ex-partner… he’s been stalking me.”
After stabbing Sidaway, McKenna fled, discarding his rucksack containing the knife at a nearby allotment where he ate a yoghurt. He then walked about three miles to the village of Bronwydd, finding refuge in a quiet woodland area away from the road. There, he spent three nights, dealing with overwhelming feelings and flashbacks. Eventually, he traveled by taxi and bus to Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth. Police bodycam footage shown during the trial depicted Sidaway seated outside her home with paramedics, heavily bloodied. Multiple injuries were documented across her chest, arm, and hand, with her coat showing 17 distinct areas of damage. Sidaway chose not to provide a victim personal statement.
At sentencing, Judge Thomas addressed McKenna, emphasizing his awareness of Sidaway’s vulnerabilities and condemning his violent response following their breakup. The judge highlighted the premeditation involved, noting McKenna stalked Sidaway twice in the same day with a knife and stabbed her at least eleven times, including three wounds near her heart. The judge remarked that her survival was mainly due to the layers of clothing protecting her on the cold day and condemned McKenna for leaving her to die in the park bushes. It was only after developing frostbite that McKenna surrendered himself. The judge characterized him as “full of self-pity.”
It emerged that McKenna had a prior conviction for assaulting another ex-partner in 2016, a fact used by the prosecution to illustrate his difficulty in accepting the end of relationships. Defense counsel Caroline Rees KC pointed to his expression of remorse in a letter as a mitigating factor. Crown Prosecution Service’s Lucy Mansfield described McKenna’s actions as “cold and calculated,” taking a knife deliberately to a public place to attack. Welsh Women’s Aid Chief Executive Sara Kirkpatrick underlined the premeditated nature of the assault, highlighting the prevalence of post-separation abuse and stalking. Kirkpatrick stressed the need for societal change to prevent individuals from seeing revenge in such violent terms as acceptable. McKenna will serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison before being eligible for release on licence
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