A WOMAN who stabbed a man in an unprovoked attack in the street has been locked up for 18 months.
Burnley Crown Court heard how Claire Gregory plunged a knife into Anthony Smith’s hip after he spotted her with his stolen pedal cycle. Gregory, who had had a cocktail of cider and ecstasy, told the victim she was going to sell it for drugs and then lunged at him.
Mr Smith felt a sharp pain and was left bleeding heavily. He later told police he feared for his life during the assault in Nelson last August and thought Gregory was aiming at his chest.
The defendant (29), of Gibfield Road, Colne, admitted theft, possessing an offensive weapon, wounding and damage.
Mr David Macro (prosecuting) said Gregory took the cycle from a back yard. A few days later, Mr Smith came out of his house to go on his motorbike and saw Gregory pushing his cycle.
He asked her: “Where are you going with that? Can I have it back, please?” The defendant replied: “I don’t think so. I am going to get some drugs for it.” Mr Smith told Gregory she wasn’t, at which point she “flipped,” began screaming and shouting and threw the motorcycle down.
Mr Macro said Gregory then lunged at Mr Smith and stabbed him in the left thigh/hip area with a six-inch blade. As the victim made his way home, the defendant went back towards him with the knife and the victim thought he was going to be stabbed again. Mr Smith managed to get into his home and shut the door. He called the police, went back outside and the defendant had gone. Mr Smith felt sick, dizzy and was losing a lot of blood. He was taken to hospital for treatment and afterwards was in pain and had trouble walking.
The hearing was told Gregory caused more than £400 damage, including to the brakes, to the motorcycle by pushing it over. That caused the victim to have an accident and suffer even more injuries. Gregory had a previous conviction for possessing an offensive weapon.
Miss Laura Barbour, for Gregory, said she had significant mental health problems and was on medication.
She had taken cider and ecstasy and this was her first violence offence. SInce the defendant had been in custody, she had undergone short courses to address drugs and alcohol misuse.
Miss Barbour added: “She was a young woman really not in her right mind.”
Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told Gregory what she had done was very dangerous and while the injuries to Mr Smith were not life-threatening, they were serious.
The judge said: “I appreciate you had some mental health problems, but you exacerbated these by acting under drugs and drink.”