A pensioner who repeatedly stabbed her friend during a visit to her at a care home has been spared jail. Marie Seyferth, 69, attacked Elizabeth McGowan with a kitchen knife, at St Mary’s Centre, in Burtonwood, Warrington. Liverpool Crown Court heard how on May 18, 2016, Seyferth – who purchased a five inch blade from BHS – walked into the residential home, at around 12.45 and asked to see her victim. Mrs Gowan, who was eating lunch at the time with a member of staff, agreed to see Seyferth and the pair were left alone in the lounge area. However minutes later staff heard shouts for help and waked in to find Seyferth repeatedly stabbing Mrs McGowan in the back. Prosecuting Keith Sutton said: “Mrs McGowan was taken to Aintree hospital where she was treated for a number of injuries. “She required nine stitches in her neck and seven staples in her back and suffered defence type injuries to her hands, the worst to an index finger which was partially severed. “When arrested the defendant told police she wanted to slit Mrs McGowan’s throat and had gone for her jugular but couldn’t get to it.” After the attack Seyferth, who had been detained by staff before police arrived, reiterated that she had wanted to kill Mrs McGowan and had come to the centre in order to do so. When police arrived and asked Seyferth how she had injured her hands the court heard she replied “probably when I was stabbing her, I wanted to murder Elizabeth McGowan but I wasn’t successful.” Seyferth, who sat in the dock with her head in her hands, told police in interview she had lived with Mrs McGowan, in St Helens, in the past. She told police she wanted to kill her after claiming Mrs McGowan had used her as a slave for 25 years. In evidence heard in court consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Lucy Bacon said Seyferth is a paranoid schizophrenic and at the time of the attack, had not been taking her medication.
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