A WOMAN who stabbed her son during a drunken row earlier has been reunited with him in time for Christmas.

Donna Lonsdale, 37, of Commercial Street, Oswaldtwislte, plunged a kitchen knife into son Stephen's chest on August 5, puncturing his lung and narrowly missing his heart.

The attack took place after an all-day drinking binge.

Donna spent five months in police custody at Styal Prison, near Manchester, while awaiting trial. After admitting to wounding her son, she was given a 12-month sentence suspended for two years at Burnley Crown Court last Friday.

And now the mother of four wants to rebuild her relationship with her 19-year-old son and is hopeful the pair can spend a peaceful Christmas together.

She said: "It's brilliant to be home and we've just started to put the tree up now.

"Stephen was round here yesterday and he was brilliant, it was great to see him again.

"He's been invited round for Christmas and at the moment I just want to spend Christmas with the family."

Donna, who said the relationship with her son had been difficult in recent years, claimed she could not remember the attack that left Stephen fighting for his life but wanted to make sure she was there for him and the rest of her family in the future.

She said: "I don't remember doing it. I remember walking down the stairs with the knife and standing against the wall in the living room. The police said I was in shock when they got here. I really can't believe I've done something like that.

"He's said in the past that he doesn't want anything to do with me and I don't want to hear that. We are not as close as we used to be but I'm always going to be there for him, he's always going to be my son."

Stephen, who lives in Trinity Street, Oswaldtwistle, with his girlfriend, said he wanted to put the stabbing behind him and enjoy Christmas with his mum.

He said: "It was really good to see her and I want to spend time at Christmas with her. I went and saw her when she got out and it was weird seeing her again after she'd been in prison.

"We've got to move on from what happened. We've always been there for each other in the past and I did think about her a lot when she was inside. I just hope that everything has altered with her and that it gets better from now on. I've told her I will go down and see her for a few hours on Christmas Day. We've got to let bygones be bygones, it happened and we have to move on. She's having a hard time and it's hard knowing why she did something like that but as I say it's in the past."

Stephen spent seven days in hospital after the attack and believed that although the pair had argued in the past, he didn't think it was any different to arguments that happen within families.

"We've had our disagreements but never any really bad arguments or fall outs. It's going to take a while to forgive her fully but I think I will forgive her in the end."

After her release Donna had gone to live with her sister in Clayton-le-Moors while partner John Taylor, 33, looked after two of her other sons Daniel, 15, and Jamie, 14, at the home in Commercial Street.

She said she was considering her options and would like to get a full-time job after learning industrial cleaning skills during her time at Styal.

John said: "It's been a nightmare without her but that could have been me she attacked so I won't let her back in to my life straight away."

When asked what her new year's resolution was, Donna was clear in her response.

"Not to drink, that's for sure, if we have any parties."