Patrick O’Brien: Illinois man gets 10 years in prison for stabbing 'screaming' wife over separation

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES: A 63-year-old Illinois man will serve ten years in prison for stabbing his wife in the arm and chest with a kitchen knife four years ago out of anger over their split.

According to officials, Patrick O'Brien was sentenced to ten years in a state penitentiary for the heinous crime on Thursday, December 21, by Will County Circuit Judge John Conner.

Patrick O'Brien found guilty of first-degree attempted murder

After a bench trial, O'Brien was found guilty of one count of first-degree attempted murder and one count of aggravated domestic battery. Conner gave O'Brien credit for having already served 38 days.

Officers from the Naperville Police Department responded to a 911 call on the evening of December 21, 2019, regarding reports of a man who had stabbed a woman outside of a residence in the 2200 block of Popple Court, approximately 35 miles southwest of Chicago, according to a news release from the Will County State's Attorney's Office.

The home security system of a neighbor caught the attack on camera.

According to the authorities, O'Brien returned to his Popple Court home with his wife after they had split up, in order to get personal belongings.

O'Brien "grabbed a large kitchen knife" while his wife was in the kitchen. He then told her, "If we're done, then we're done," before pursuing her with the knife.

"The victim screamed for her neighbors to open the rear patio door as she ran from her house to their residence," stated the release.

Prosecutors further stated in the release that O'Brien shoved her against the neighbor's back wall while sprinting toward her with the knife and shouted, "You're faster than I thought."

O'Brien shoved the knife into the victim's arm and chest while cursing at her, even as the victim raised her hands to try to block it. The neighbor opened his door just in time to throw O'Brien to the ground and stop him from stabbing his wife further.

Patrick O'Brien convicted of brutal assault on his wife

According to the prosecution, O'Brien pulled his wife to the ground with him while still holding onto her. Then, before hurling the knife, he stabbed himself once. After a short while, O'Brien was taken into custody by the police.

The horrific cruelty of the assault by a man who believed that his wife should die if the marriage was over, is depicted in graphic detail on the home security system, Law&Crime reported.

Following the sentencing, Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow released a statement saying, "There is no doubt 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. Seventy-five percent of domestic violence homicides occur when the victim has left the relationship."

"Domestic violence is about control and power, and this harrowing near-deadly assault was the attempt at exerting ultimate control," stated Glasgow.