A Naperville man who chased his estranged wife with a kitchen knife and stabbed her in the chest was sentenced this week to 10 years in prison.
Patrick O’Brien, 63, was convicted by a jury in August of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated domestic batter in connection with the attack that took place Dec. 21, 2019.
Prosecutors said O’Brien, who was separated from his wife, had gone to their home in the 2200 block of Popple Court to retrieve some belongings when he grabbed a large kitchen knife and announced, “If we’re done, then we’re done,” according to a Will County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.
His wife fled to a neighbor’s house as he chased her, yelling, “You’re faster than I thought,” the release said. While pushing her against the rear well of the neighbor’s home, he stabbed her in the chest and arm while shouting an expetive at her.
The neighbor knocked O’Brien and the victim to the ground when opening his door, prompting O’Brien to stab himself and then throw away the knife, the release said. A neighbor’s home surveillance camera recorded the incident.
“The brutal attack shown in graphic detail on the home surveillance system captures the gruesome savagery of the attack by a controlling man who decided that if the marriage was over then his wife should die,” State’s Attorney James Glasgow said in a statement. “There is no question that the neighbor’s miraculous intervention saved Mrs. O’Brien’s life.
“This case bears out the stark reality in domestic violence that the most dangerous time for a survivor is when they leave their partner,” he said. “Domestic violence is about control and power, and this harrowing near-deadly assault was the attempt at exerting ultimate control.”
O’Brien will receive 38 days credit for time served. Per state law, he must complete 85% of the sentence and will serve three years of mandatory supervised release, the release said.