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Nine key moments from court as man accused of trying to murder ex stands trial

James McKenna denies attempting to murder his former partner Joanne Sidaway

[A white man in late 50s. He is bald with a white beard, and is wearing glasses]

James McKenna admits causing his ex-partner really serious injuries with a knife but denies attempted murder(Image: WalesOnline)

We are covering the trial of a man accused of attempting to murder his former partner as she walked her dog in a park. James McKenna is accused of attempting to murder of Joanne Sidaway in an ambush in Carmarthen Park on January 29 this year. The defendant denies the allegation but has admitted wounding with intent and possessing a bladed article in a public place. Here is everything you need to know about what happened at Swansea Crown Court today:

• The defendant and vicitm were former partners, and Miss Sidaway lived on the edge of Carmarthen Park where she regularly walked her dog
• On the morning of January 29 this year the defendant packed a large kitchen knife some 30cm in length in a rucksack and walked to the park
• After walking around the park the defendant took a taxi into the town centre before returning in the afternoon
• At just after 4pm a neighbour of Miss Sidaway who was in the park saw her friend's dog and heard "very high-pitched screams" coming from bushes near the Picton Terrace entrance. The woman then saw a man running away, and saw her friend bleeding from wounds
• Miss Sidaway suffered four penetrating wounds to the left side of her chest both above and below her breast, penetrating wounds to her upper arm, and "defensive" type wounds to her hands
• Police subsequently recovered a blood-stained knife from allotments near Carmarthen Park which had the defendant's fingerprints on the handle
• McKenna was arrested on February 2 after attending hospital in Aberystwyth with frostbite to his feet
• The defendant gave officers a prepared statement in which he accepted having a knife and accepted being responsible for the injuries to Miss Sidaway but denied trying to kill her
• The prosecution barrister James Wilson told the jury: "He [the defendant] accepts he had the knife. He accepts he unlawfully attacked Miss Sidaway. He accepts he intended to cause really serious harm. The prosecution does not accept his intent was limited to causing really serious harm. It is the prosecution case that he intended to kill her. Therefore, the issue in the trial will be his intent at the time of the attack"
• Subscribers can follow the details of what happened on day one of the trial - including a juror having to be discharged - on our court blog.