'No that's fine, don't worry about it': 999 call of woman who fatally stabbed her boyfriend then told emergency operator there was no rush for an ambulance is released as she is jailed for at least 17 years

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A woman found guilty of murdering her boyfriend with a steak knife told the emergency services there was 'no rush' to save him in a harrowing 999 call.  

Emma-Jayne Magson, 23, was found guilty of murdering partner James Knight, 26, by stabbing him in the heart with a steak knife, and was jailed for at least 17 years.

She plunged the knife 11.5 centimetres into the chest of Mr Knight before placing it in a bin belonging to the victim's brother.

A tape of the call has now been released revealing how 'cold, brutal and manipulative' Magson delayed medical help to her dying boyfriend.

Meanwhile Mr Knight's children have asked why their 'daddy had been stolen', his family have disclosed.

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Emma-Jayne Magson, pictured, has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering partner James Knight with a steak knife

Mr Knight pictured with his two daughters Ruby (left), four, and Evie (right), six. Magson is not their mother

A victim impact statement was read at Leicester Crown Court on behalf of Becki Waite, former partner of Mr Knight and the mother of his daughters, four-year-old Ruby and Evie, now six.

Mr Knight and Ms Waite had been in a relationship lasting nine years, with Ms Waite describing James as a 'real family man'.

In her statement, she said: 'The initial shock of being woken at 4am to be told the father of your children had died made me feel numb and utterly broken.

'To then be informed he was murdered was heart-wrenching but to later find out it was by the woman he had left me for, the woman who had been putting our daughters to bed on a weekend, made me feel like a part of me had died at the same time.

'My five-year-old was asking 'Why has Daddy been stolen?' and 'How will he know it's my birthday?''

'The impact of James's death isn't just for now, the impact isn't going to stop. My little girls will never have a daddy, never get to go to the park with him, he will never walk them down the aisle, this will continue to have a huge domino effect.'

Mr Knight's mother, Trish Knight, added: 'As a mum, you never expect to have to bury your child.

'I never got the opportunity to hold James because of what Emma did. I haven't been able to hold his hand or kiss him goodbye, and living with that gets harder every day.

Magson, left, stabbed Mr Knight, right, in the heart and then delayed him medical help

'Saying goodbye (at the funeral) was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Part of me went with him that day, but I have had to carry on, not just for me but for all of us.

'Our lives will never be the same again. It's a bad dream we will never wake from ... she stole my son's life and I will never get over that.' 

Judge Nicolas Dean QC handed Magson a life sentence with a minimum of 17 years, after Magson was convicted on Friday.

He said: 'This was an act in impulse and anger. Her behaviour is not at all easy to understand.'

A three-week trial heard the couple - who were in a 'volatile' relationship - had been involved in a drunken row in the run-up to the fatal attack at Magson's house in Sylvan Street, Leicester, on March 27 this year.

The court was played a 999 call Magson made to emergency services some time after she struck the fatal blow, saying Mr Knight had collapsed and failing to mention he had been stabbed.

When told an ambulance might be delayed, Magson calmly replied: 'No, that's fine, don't worry about it.' 

During the trial Magson said she had acted in self-defence after alleging that Mr Knight grabbed her around the throat - but the jury of six men and six women took seven hours to convict her of murder.  

Mr Knight was found lying injured after the attack in the early hours of Easter Sunday, with two nearby residents and the victim's brother coming to his aid.

The court heard Magson then said Mr Knight was drunk and had been beaten up by bouncers while out drinking in the city centre.

Kevin Knight, who lived a few doors away from Magson, helped his brother's killer carry the body back into her front room - without realising the fatal stab injury Mr Knight had suffered which had punctured his heart.

Emergency services arrived at the scene of the stabbing in Leicester, pictured, only after Magson told them not to worry about being delayed

Kevin Knight was woken by Magson 40 minutes later banging frantically on the door screaming 'it's James, it's James, he's dead, he's dead', the jury heard.

Speaking after the guilty verdict, Detective Inspector Shaun Orton, who led the investigation, said: 'Right from the start, Magson lied about this incident.

'Knowing what she had done, she insisted to those around her, including the victim's brother, that he was just under the influence of drugs and alcohol and asked for assistance in moving him into the apparent safety of her address.

'It was some time later that she called an ambulance, and even then she failed to disclose to them that he had sustained a stab wound.

Mr Knight, pictured, was described as a 'happy, bouncy young man' who was a 'friend to many' by his family after his death

'At one point she even told the call handler 'not to worry' about there being a delay in getting an ambulance to him, despite knowing she had stabbed him and he was dying in front of her.'

After the case, Leicestershire Police released a statement from the family of Mr Knight, paying tribute to the 'happy, bouncy' father.

They said: 'James Knight was 26 years old, a father of two girls, a son, a brother, uncle, and a friend to many.

'James was a very happy, bouncy young man who made everyone's day brighter with a smile that was infectious, no-one will ever be able to forget it.

'We, as a family will never be able to forget the night we received the heart breaking news that James had died, the heart ache and pain James suffered will never go away, neither will the pain for those of us left behind.

'Although Emma has finally been brought to justice we will never truly be able to come to terms with the fact he has gone.

'As a family we would like to thank everybody at Leicestershire Police for all their help and guidance throughout this process.

'Our thanks must also go to the neighbours, the East Midlands Ambulance Service, and the doctors both at the scene and Leicester Royal Infirmary who all tried so hard to save James' life.

'And thank you to each of the witnesses who came to court to give evidence in this trial.'