Corby woman stabbed boyfriend after drunken argument

She's been spared from prison
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A Corby woman stabbed her boyfriend in the back with a kitchen knife after a drunken argument at his home.

Ashley Drummond left her victim bleeding profusely and needing stitches after the altercation turned violent in the early hours of December 17 last year.

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The 27-year-old was later found just down the road intoxicated and drinking a can of lager, before admitting unlawful wounding when she appeared at Leicester Crown Court in January.

Northampton Crown Court.Northampton Crown Court.
Northampton Crown Court.

Today (Tuesday) she was spared from prison after His Honour Judge David Herbert QC ruled he could take an "exceptional course" because of her efforts to seek help for her alcohol issues.

He told her: "Sadly attacks with knives are all too common."

Northampton Crown Court heard Drummond, of Rockingham Mews, was at her boyfriend's home at a house of multiple occupation in Totnes Close when fellow occupants were woken by the sound of them arguing at about 4am.

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Prosecuting, Kaja Reiff-Musgrove said another tenant came out and Drummond said words to the effect that she "wanted to have sex with them".

Her boyfriend remained calm and called the police, asking them to come and remove her as she was "clearly drunk".

But when he was on the doorstep on the phone she grabbed a 12in serrated kitchen knife and lurched towards him from behind.

Ms Reiff-Musgrove said: "He said 'she's just stabbed me'. He was bleeding profusely."

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The victim was left with a wound about 1cm wide and 0.5cm deep to his upper right back.

Ms Reiff-Musgrove added: "She threw the knife in the direction of him and ran away immediately."

Drummond was found intoxicated about 100m away, drinking a can of lager, and was arrested.

The victim told police he had stitches in hospital an was "in a great deal of pain", the court heard, but did not support a prosecution because he still loves her and wants to continue their relationship.

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The court heard Drummond has been getting help for her alcohol issues in the past two months and was doing what she can to deal with her problems.

She told a probation officer she couldn't remember what happened when she was interviewed for a pre-sentence report.

Mitigating, Liam Muir said: "She is so disgusted by what happened she cannot bring herself to believe that she has done that."

Sentencing, Judge Herbert told Drummond that attacking someone with a knife would usually almost inevitably end up seeing them put behind bars.

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But decided he could take an exceptional course of action because of the positive steps she had taken to seek help in recent months.

He told her a 21-month prison sentence would be suspended for 21 months and that she must take part in rehabilitation activities, including an alcohol treatment requirement.

He told her: "This is your opportunity now to put it all behind you...make sure you take that chance."