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Home Canterbury News Article
A woman has told how she pulled a knife from her boyfriend's heart – but waited 11 hours to call for help.
Hairdresser Sarah Avey, 38, watched as Haydyn Vintiner plunged the blade into his chest at their home in Central Parade, Herne Bay.
But instead of calling 999, she dumped the knife in the laundry room and fled their seafront flat at 11.30pm.
She and her two children, Holly and Charlie, stayed the night at a friend's house before Mrs Avey finally called police at 10.30am the following day.
But at an inquest into his death yesterday, she refused to reveal why she did not call for help sooner.
The court heard she had been arrested following 39-year-old Mr Vintiner's death, but refused to answer any police questions.
But in a short police statement read out at the inquest, she said: "I didn't stab Haydyn.
"He thrust the knife into his chest. I pulled it out. I left and took my children to a friend's house.
"I called his friend, Samantha, and had expected her to check on him. She did not check on him."
The inquest heard how Mrs Avey and Mr Vintiner had been out for a meal at Berry's on the evening of September 14 last year with friend Samantha Grace, who described the atmosphere as "edgy".
Mrs Avey's 18-year-old son Charlie Bragg told the court how he arrived home at the flat shortly after 11.30pm that night to find blood on the stairs and a blood-stained knife in the kitchen.
He said: "I wasn't sure what was going on. I went upstairs and saw Haydyn lying on his back on the bed in my mum's room.
"He had blood on his hands. I didn't go in, but called out and got no response. I was getting worried so phoned my sister, Holly, who said she and mum were at the hair salon.
"I went down there and mum said Haydyn had put a knife in himself.
"We went to a friend's house for the night and had a brief chat about what to do the next day.
"In the morning, mum and Holly went to work at the salon and I went down there at 11am.
"Mum said the police were at the flat and I just thought that Haydyn would be at the hospital and OK."
Mr Vintiner's father, Leon Vintiner, asked Mr Avey why he did not immediately call police and paramedics when he found Haydyn.
He replied: "I didn't know how serious it was."
Mr Vintiner also accused Mrs Avey of stabbing his son, saying: "We have witnesses that Haydyn's previous stab wounds were not caused by him.
"You stabbed him. Not one of your family could call the emergency services."
Mrs Avey was told by coroner Rebecca Cobb that she did not need to answer questions that would incriminate her.
A Home Office pathologist told the inquest all evidence suggested Mr Vintiner had stabbed himself, but he could not be 100% certain.
Dr Olaf Biedrzycki said he could find no injuries suggesting a struggle, and "hesitation marks" close to the fatal wound were often present in people attempting to stab themselves.
He said the blade had been plunged three inches into Mr Vintiner's chest - and that only advanced heart surgery within minutes could have saved him.
He also found alcohol and cocaine in Mr Vintiner's blood, which he said would have acted as a disinhibitor.
The inquest was told Mr Vintiner had suffered depression in the past and attempted to take his own life.
Shortly after discovering she would not face criminal charges over his death, Mrs Avey described Haydyn as "the love of my life".
But at the inquest she said she was planning to end their "volatile" 18-month relationship.
The mother-of-two had been arrested after Mr Vintiner's death and released on bail, but the police and Crown Prosecution Service ruled in November that there was "no evidence upon which to prosecute any person for any criminal offence arising from Mr Vintiner's death".
Speaking exclusively, Mrs Avey - who worked at the Impact salon in Mortimer Street - said: "I just want people to know he was the love of my life. I would never have hurt him. I loved him so much."
The inquest is yet to be concluded.
