A shocking incident unfolded in Bridgend as Shelley Bowen, 36, was sentenced to four years in prison after repeatedly stabbing her former neighbour, Felicity Symes, in a vicious attack outside Symes’ residence. The assault, which left Symes with severe injuries including a punctured lung and a finger hanging off her hand, stemmed from mounting tensions between the two individuals.
The distressing events occurred on September 4 last year, when Bowen arrived at Bryncethin in an orange BMW M3 and deliberately rammed her vehicle into Symes’ parked Kia. Children in the vicinity witnessed the collision, prompting Symes to confront Bowen regarding her reckless driving. However, the confrontation quickly escalated into a violent altercation as Bowen emerged from her car armed with a six-inch kitchen knife, attacking Symes with multiple stab wounds.
During the sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, prosecutor Owen Williams recounted the horrifying ordeal, detailing how Symes sustained significant injuries, including lacerations to her hand, arm, and chest. Symes, unaware of the severity of her injuries until she noticed her finger hanging off her hand, was promptly rushed to the University Hospital of Wales for treatment.
Following the attack, Bowen fled the scene, but law enforcement swiftly located her at her mother’s residence in Aberkenfig. Bowen admitted to assaulting Symes, although she claimed her intention was merely to puncture Symes’ car tires, not to inflict bodily harm.
In her victim impact statement, Symes expressed the profound trauma she experienced since the incident, describing sleepless nights plagued by nightmares and constant fear for her safety. The assault has severely disrupted her life, leaving her unable to drive or venture outside without apprehension.
In mitigation, Bowen’s defense attorney, Julia Cox, highlighted her client’s struggles with mental health issues, including borderline personality disorder and substance addiction. Cox emphasized Bowen’s tumultuous circumstances, including sparse contact with her children and her mother’s cancer diagnosis, which exacerbated her mental health challenges.
Despite these factors, Judge Lucy Crowther handed down a four-year prison sentence to Bowen, also imposing a four-year driving ban. The ruling reflects the seriousness of Bowen’s actions and aims to provide justice for Symes, whose life has been irrevocably altered by the brutal assault.
