A TEENAGER who stabbed his 15-year-old girlfriend in the lower chest has avoided a custodial sentence.

A judge at Preston Crown Court placed the youth on 18 months supervision and ordered he carry out 70 hours community work.

Judge Philip Sycamore said the wounding offence crossed the custody threshold, but he was not imposing a custody sentence because the teenager had spent the equivalent of a ten months sentence on remand, and also because of his age, and background reports showed a viable alternative was available.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful wounding. He now has a total of three wounding offences on his record.

Both the defendant and his then girlfriend were said to have been drunk at the time of the incident in August last year.

Mr William Baker, prosecuting, said they had gone to a house on Wellington Road, Blackburn. While there the defendant started kissing another female, with the intention of winding up his girlfriend.

To get back at him, she started kissing another man. She and the defendant argued.

She followed her boyfriend to another house in Blackburn, where the arguing continued.

The youth struck her on the nose. He went on to follow her to the bathroom, where he began prodding her with a knife.

Mr Baker told the court "He stabbed her with the knife. It entered her right lower chest, penetrating her to a depth of four centimetres. She felt a sharp pain as the knife went in.

"He told a friend he had stabbed her. He asked them to look after her and to slap her in the face if she got mouthy."

The girl was later found lying in the road by police. She was taken to Blackburn Infirmary for treatment.

When questioned by police, the boy said he did not remember the offence.

He said his drink may have been spiked as he felt dizzy and drowsy at the time.

Mr Jacob Dyer, defending, said the youth had had a couple of cans to drink.

"He maintains somebody put something into his drink. As a redsult, his recollection is very poor."