A HEYSHAM woman who stabbed her husband with a vegetable knife during an argument has walked free from court.

Preston Crown Court was told that Dennis Kellett sustained a 1.5 cm puncture wound which penetrated the chest cavity resulting in a collapsed lung which had to be re-inflated.

His wife, Sharon 29, of Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham, pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding her husband on April 19 this year. She was placed on probation for two years.

Mr Kevin Donnelly, prosecuting, told the court the couple's relationship had deteriorated, there was a history of acrimony between them and they lived apart.

Kellett had an injunction against her husband.

On the day of the stabbing the couple had argued after they met in Heysham and when the defendant went to a friend's home Mr Kellett made a nuisance of himself.

Around 8pm Kellett again met her husband and there was an argument in the garden resulting in Mr Kellett throwing a clod of earth at his wife or her young child.

This angered Kellett and she left the scene and returned after collecting a knife.

The couple were asked to leave, but continued arguing near Roeburndale Crescent, Heysham. They were seen wrestling and then Mr Kellett went to a house, saying: "She's stabbed me, I can't breathe."

At Lancaster Royal Infirmary Mr Kellett's lung was re-inflated and the wound closed with two stitches.

Kellett told police there was a history of violence in the relationship with her being beaten by her husband on many occasions.

She had met her husband by chance and a clod of earth was thrown at her son. She had gone for the knife and the argument continued.

What had provoked the stabbing was that Mr Kellett had tried to put her in a fireman's hold. "I just wanted him to go away and stop it. It was getting too much," Kellett told police.

Mr Gordon Hennell, defending, urged the court to go along with the sentence recommended in a pre-sentence report.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.