Pregnant Coralville woman arrested after alleged assault and self-injury with knife

Hunter
11/23/20

A Coralville woman was taken into custody Sunday evening after assaulting her fiancé and cutting herself with a paring knife.

Police were called to the 900 block of Boston Way just before 9pm on a report of a fight in progress. The reporting party said they could hear a physical altercation, with a woman yelling “help me” and a man saying “give me the knife.”

Arriving officers ascertained the apartment where the alleged altercation was occurring and made their way to the back bedroom where the noise was coming from. There they found 28-year old Jessamarie Garvey and her fiancé lying on the bed, with the fiancé behind her holding her wrists. He informed the officers that Garvey had a knife and was trying to harm herself, and motioned to the dresser where a kitchen paring knife was sitting. Officers noted that Garvey was highly emotional.

Garvey reportedly told officers that she grabbed the knife to cause self- harm on her leg, and her fiancé grabbed her to try and stop her. As arriving ambulance personnel began treating Garvey, the fiancé’s injuries were noted. They included a fresh bruise on his neck, and multiple scratches on his head, neck and shoulders. He then filled in more details on the altercation.

Garvey is currently about 8 months pregnant, and got into a fight with the fiancé about his family not liking her. He decided to go for a walk and went to the bedroom to get his things, when Garvey stood in the doorway and refused to let him leave. As he sat on the bed, he says Garvey grabbed his throat and applied pressure. She then reportedly pushed him against a wall, and he then pushed her hand away from his throat. Garvey then allegedly grabbed her fiance’s hair and began pulling it. He was able to hold her away from him.

Garvey then allegedly went into the kitchen and returned, holding the paring knife as she approached her fiance. When asked if he felt like Garvey was going to harm him, he replied that she is “very emotional and pregnant.” He refused requests to have pictures taken of his injuries.

Garvey was taken into custody and charged with Domestic Assault Impeding Airflow, and Domestic Assault with the Display of a Weapon. If convicted, she could be sentenced to up to four years in prison.