Timothy chased them for twenty miles and rammed his vehicle into the back of theirs four times, leaving them spinning off the road and crashing into a guide rail near Idaho, US.
Terrified Leslie tried to flee the scene, but Timothy chased after her and grabbed her by the hair – pulling out a pocketknife and cutting her face and mouth.
Her ex then attempted to slit Leslie’s throat but the thick scarf she was wearing saved her life – as he was unable to cut deep enough through it to sever her.
A passerby called the and Timothy was arrested at the scene. Police discovered a bloody pocketknife and an 11-calibre rifle on the front seat of his car, according to local reports.
He charged with two counts of aggravated assault, attempted homicide, disorderly conduct, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, theft by unlawful taking, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
Leslie and Craig were both rushed to hospital where she had her cuts stitched up and he was checked over for injuries – he remained unharmed but was shaken up.
In March 2017, Timothy McGoff was found guilty of multiple charges – including two counts of attempted homicide and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – and sentenced to 21 to 51 years in with a 12-year probation if he is released.
Leslie, a home-based clinician, from Moscow, Pennsylvania, said: “When he tried to slice my throat, the scarf stopped the knife from going deeper into my throat.
“I don’t usually wear a scarf, but it was snowing and icy outside, so I decided to put my scarf on – and that decision may have very well saved my life.
“I wrapped it around my throat and pulled it tight.
“I was quite literally saved by my scarf – I had it around my neck throughout the whole attack.”;
Leslie and McGoff started when she was 25 years old.
The couple had two children – now aged 11 and 18 – but in July 2014, Leslie ended their relationship.
She got together with Craig, an electrician – who she knew from high school and the pair embarked on a long distance relationship, with Leslie 358 miles away from him in Milton, New Hampshire.
Leslie said: “Craig and I were friends in high school, but we stopped talking after he left Pennsylvania when we were 18.
“I saw him on and dropped him a message. We rekindled our relationship and it led to more.”;
Craig and his two daughters – now aged 25 and 22 – were visiting Leslie and her kids over the period, and the group headed to see Christmas lights on January 3, 2015.
That day, McGoff was due to pick up their children, but Leslie said they “wanted to stay with Craig’s children”; – which, she says, made McGoff angry.
Leslie said: “We got home from the Christmas lights and Craig and I left to get some ice cream and films.
He took his right hand to my face and he sliced it from my lip to my cheek with a pocketknife.
“When we pulled out of my parents’ drive, Craig noticed a car coming out of nowhere.
“I said how they must have been in a hurry to get somewhere.”;
After they left the grocery store, Craig noticed a tan car was still following them and decided to take the long way home to try and lose them.
Leslie called the police to report the vehicle following them and was told to meet an officer at North Pocono High School.
She said: “After around a few more miles, McGoff started hitting us with his car.
“I said ‘oh my god, we are going to die’.
“I called 911 again and told them we needed help, they were on the phone when he was hitting our car.
“The car ended up spinning and we went into a guardrail.”;
At this point, Leslie had noticed that McGoff was out of his car, wielding a knife, so she tried to make a run for it.
Leslie said: “He grabbed me by my ponytail and said ‘where the f*** do you think you’re going?’.
“He took his right hand to my face and he sliced it from my lip to my cheek with a pocketknife.
“When I tried to run away, he grabbed me again by the HAIR and said ‘say goodbye – this is your last f***ing breath’.
“Then he sliced my throat, I was still conscious – he didn’t realise the knife hadn’t cut as deep as he thought due to my thick scarf – I think he thought I was dead.
“He took my head and put it towards his. He laughed and threw me to the ground.”;
Luckily, Leslie was wearing a cotton and polyester scarf on the night – which prevented the blade from penetrating deep into her neck.
The police arrived on the scene and McGoff was arrested on the spot.
Leslie and Craig were both taken to Guy Singer Hospital, Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Leslie was treated by a plastic surgeon – who stitched up her cuts – before going home later that night.
McGoff was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, attempted homicide, disorderly conduct, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, theft by unlawful taking, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and in March 2017 was found guilty of two counts of attempted homicide and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
He was also found guilty of one count of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, and one count each of theft by unlawful taking, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, disorderly conduct, reckless driving, and driving under the influence.
In the same month, McGoff was sentenced to 21 to 51 years in prison with a 12-year probation if he is released.
Leslie said: “When he was sentenced, I was scared for my life.
“I would think about what if he got out, or what if he is going to try and do it again.
“It was a sense of relief, but at the same time, a huge sense of sorrow.
“My children had lost their father because of a senseless act.”;
