Self defense or murder?

Emma-Jayne Magson stabs boyfriend James Knight in the chest after a fight. Emma was sentenced a minimum of 17 years, but has been granted permission to appeal against her conviction.

Emma-Jayne Magson stabs boyfriend James Knight in the chest after a fight. Emma was sentenced a minimum of 17 years, but has been granted permission to appeal against her conviction.

Emily Hoffman, Ranger Review Reporter

On March 27, 2016, a drunk woman stabbed her boyfriend in the chest with a steak knife. Emma-Jayne Magson 23, denied murdering James Knight 26, but was found guilty and was ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years in prison.

The night the incident took place, both Emma and James went out drinking when an argument broke out between the couple. James’ behavior started to concern the bar staff, and they asked him to leave. Emma left with him and they took a taxi, but they were thrown out for fighting.

According to BBC’s article, CCTV captured James grabbing Emma’s neck and shoulders and pushing her to the ground on their way home.

BBC stated that according to Emma, once they were in the kitchen James grabbed around her throat and pushed her back.

Emma claims that she reached for the closest thing to her, which was a steak knife, and hit him once. She says she stabbed James in self-defense.

“I didn’t mean to harm him, I just wanted to get him off.”

At about 2:30 somehow James ended up outside of his brother Kevin’s house, lying face down in the street. Kevin and a neighbor, Michal Ladic, came out to help but were unaware of James’ injury because of Emma’s failure to tell them.

Michal told BBC that James was still alive when they came out, and that Emma said he was just drunk.  

Kevin and Michal carried James inside Emma’s apartment and left thinking they would see him tomorrow.

Emma called 999 for an ambulance, but still did not mention James had been stabbed. According to BBC Emma said her boyfriend was “making weird noises” and that she didn’t “know what’s going on.”

Prosecution said Emma deceived people into believing the situation was not serious, and said she was cold and manipulative.

On November 22, 2018 the Court of Appeal gave permission for Emma to appeal against her murder conviction. A date for the next hearing is still undecided.