A woman stabbed her boyfriend with a steak knife after a trip to the pub.
Amanda Valerie Wilkie, from Newton-le-Willows, stabbed her boyfriend after taking sleeping pills and drinking following a night out. Her partner had to have three stab wounds stapled following the incident.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the 43-year-old and her partner, Mark Anthony Coxhill, went out for a meal on Thursday, April 13, where they shared a bottle of wine. The couple then decided to go to a pub for more drinks.
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They returned home where Mr Coxhill got a crate of beer from the garage. Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, told the court how the couple went to bed between 3am and 4am on Friday, April 14 and Wilkie took zopiclone – a type of sleeping pill that can be taken for short-term treatment of severe insomnia.
Mr Pickavance said: "An argument ensued and the defendant accused Mr Coxhill of having intentions with someone younger."
The court heard how the victim "went to hug her" but the mum-of-two stabbed him with a steak knife which had a six-inch blade. He tried to leave, but Wilkie stabbed him again before he went outside and called the police from the garage nearby.
Wilkie's boyfriend was left with three 1cm stab wounds, including in his armpit and abdomen which needed staples. Louise Santamera, defending, said Wilkie maintained her boyfriend gave her the sleeping tablets which had an "enormous impact" on her state of mind and can make people "particularly drowsy".
She added Wilkie admitted to having a drink in the restaurant and a "drink or two in the pub", but said no to the crate of beer and told Mr Coxhill "he'd had enough". She added she was not happy for him to smoke cannabis and an argument ensued.
In relation to the tablets, Ms Santamera told the court: "She thought she was taking paracetamol. Her recollection of what happened is extremely poor and she did not see what the tablets were."
The couple's relationship was described as "mutually destructive" and in mitigation it was heard Wilkie had suffered from domestic violence in the hands of her partner. Ms Santamera said Wilkie accepted in this incident she "acted in excessive self defence" and "she was not the aggressor".
She added: "The defendant does not take drugs. Her problem is alcohol. When she feels anxious or depressed, rather than abstaining from alcohol and trying to cope with the situation she ends up drinking which also makes things worse."
Judge Recorder Gavin McBride sentenced Wilkie, of Southworth Road, Newton-le-Willows, to 15 months in prison suspended for two years after she pleaded guilty to wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.
The judge also said in a statement from Mr Coxhill, which was later withdrawn, that he believed Wilkie was "trying to kill" him. Recorder McBride said: "This is a serious matter involving a weapon used on more than one occasion."
He ordered there will be a rehabilitation requirement of 12 months for Wilkie and she was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
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