A woman stabbed her cousin 27 times during a “frenzied attack” following a family argument.

Michelle Halstead, 34, inflicted the stab wounds on her male cousin while he was pinning her partner to the floor in their kitchen.

It was said Halstead had panicked and was fearing for her partner’s safety, thus picked up a sharp object from the side in the kitchen and inflicted the wounds.

Prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, Robert Elias said the victim arrived at Halstead’s address in his car on October 14, 2022, following a phone call between him and Halstead’s partner.

As he got out of the car, Halstead was in the front garden shouting at him to leave, but he pushed past her and entered the house uninvited.

He then pushed Halstead’s partner to the floor in the kitchen and pinned him down by his arms before he felt what he thought were punches to his back.

A video played in court showed the incident happening from a neighbouring window, and Halstead could be seen performing what looked like a stabbing motion numerous times.

The victim eventually got back in his car and then noticed he was bleeding. He drove home before calling an ambulance and was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary.

There, doctors found he had 27 stab wounds to the back and a 3cm laceration to his left arm, which they said was most likely caused by a knife.

Mr Elias said: “By some great fortune, serious harm like the piercing of a vital organ did not occur.

"This is far, far beyond any reasonable self-defence.”

A victim impact statement summarised by Mr Elias said the victim had suffered mentally and physically and was in considerable pain and discomfort due to his wounds.

Mitigating, Keith Harrison said the victim had entered as a trespasser into the house and Halstead had been pushed to the ground by him.

He said Halstead panicked and feared for her partner’s safety, taking up a “sharp implement” and using it on him.

“She accepts she went beyond what was reasonable,” Mr Harrison said.

He added: “She went too far and accepts causing the injuries sustained.

"She is extremely lucky the injuries did not create far greater problems for her victim.”

Halstead, of Rosewood Avenue, Haslingden, pleaded guilty to one count of section 20 wounding without intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Sentencing, Recorder Michelle Brown said: “It was clearly a frenzied attack. There are some verbal comments being made.

“The stab marks cover most of his back and they are also to his neck area and lower abdomen.

“You say you have no memory of the events. It was said on your behalf you panicked and acted out of fear. But you accept you caused those injuries.

“It is clear this has had a significant impact on him.”

Halstead was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.