A WOMAN who was high on drink and drugs when she stabbed a friend’s mum, having threatened to chop her head off, has walked free from court.

Patricia Hindle plunged a kitchen knife into the woman’s leg during a violent attack at the home of the victim’s vulnerable son.

And when the police arrived the 29-year-old told them ‘she deserved to get stabbed. I should have cut her in the throat: she wants her throat slit, not her leg’.

But after hearing the assault was out of character for the woman and she had spent four months in custody on remand, a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court Hindle and her boyfriend were friendly with Damian Cardwell, who has learning difficulties and is registered blind.

His mum, Gwendoline Shaw, was concerned because they had ordered goods through his Littlewoods catalogue and was worried about their conduct towards her son.

On the evening of Friday, September 13, she went to his home in Crawford Close, Freshbrook, and found Hindle was already there.

“As the complainant entered her son’s home the defendant was angry from the start saying to her son ‘why have you got your mum here?’,” Mr Meeke said.

“She became more and more aggressive, Mrs Shaw thought she was probably under the influence of some stupefying substance.”

When the mum phoned the police Hindle lost control, throwing things off the coffee table before turning it over saying ‘I’m going to stab you and chop your head off’.

“Mrs Shaw tried to calm her down but was pushed down on to the sofa several times. The defendant continued to rant and rave, threatening to get a knife and kill her,” he said.

She then left the room and returned waving around a large kitchen knife shouting ‘I’m going to kill you, I am going to stab you to death’.

The pair struggled and the defendant punched her several times in the face, giving her a split lip, then lashed out with the knife stabbing her in the calf.

When a policeman arrived the fighting had moved outside and he had to separate the women.

Hindle pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client had a number of previous convictions for shoplifting but nothing involving violence.

In the past she had been the victim of long term violent abuse coupled with substance misuse.

He said the fact that she had been in prison on remand for about five months meant her mental health could properly be assessed.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said: “From what I have heard as to the comments you were making and from your actions at the time you obviously had the clearest possible intent for a brief period to cause serious harm to Gwendoline Shaw.”

He added: “During that episode you went off to get yourself a knife from the kitchen, you brought it back and you repeatedly lashed out at her. It was a prolonged assault with a knife. You caused the injury to her calf that I have been told about.”

He imposed a 20 month jail term suspended for two years and told her she must complete a one year drug rehabilitation requirement.