An Ulverstone man who stabbed his wife 17 times while she was driving a car and then held her against her will is set to be eligible for parole in January 2019.
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Dean Michael Rowe, 51, drove around the state with his wife Rosemary Rowe in the passenger’s seat for 12 hours after he had stabbed her 17 times.
Rowe will be eligible for parole after he has served three years of his six-year sentence, backdated to January 13, 2016.
He was intercepted by police in the early hours of January 13 when he drove the car into water at Boomer Bay in the state’s south.
Rowe had pleaded guilty to one count of assault and one count of committing an unlawful act intending to cause bodily harm.
The Supreme Court in Hobart heard Rowe stopped his wife from exiting the car, moved into the driver’s seat and drove around the state despite her pleas to call an ambulance or the police.
The court heard Rowe told his wife he was going to let her bleed to death, a fact disputed by Rowe.
Justice Tennent said hospital staff had given evidence Mrs Rowe was very fortunate the stab wounds had not penetrated her major arteries and vital structures.
In sentencing Rowe, Justice Shan Tennent said she accepted he did not intend to kill the mother of his five children but had made clear his intention to cause serious harm to her.
Justice Tennent said Mrs Rowe had suffered numbness in her hand, neck and shoulder since the assault.
The court heard Mrs Rowe had undergone counselling and both her and her children had suffered nightmares.
It also heard Mrs Rowe was frightened Rowe might come after her again.
Justice Tennent said Rowe was incensed after he found out his wife had been seeing another man.
She said Rowe saw his marriage of 10 years was about to end and wanted to make his wife suffer.
She said Mrs Rowe had viewed her marriage as strained for some time due to Rowe’s “controlling, violent and possessive behaviour” and her husband having previously had an affair.
Rowe had previously been convicted of assaulting his wife in 2010.
Justice Tennent said a deterrent sentence was required to show domestic violence could never be condoned.
Justice Tennent also imposed a family violence order on Rowe for a period of 10 years.
