A KNIFEWOMAN who lunged at her ex-partner in a midnight confrontation could end up behind bars.
Donna Sherwin was said to have pulled the knife on David Rushton as he walked his dog in Nelson last September 27th. Mr Rushton told Burnley Crown Court he knocked the weapon out of her hand and picked it up with his sleeve.
Sherwin had claimed Mr Rushton had been texting her, threatening to poison her cat, to put petrol through her letter box and to smash her windows. She alleged he had said he had a shotgun down his pants. The defendant claimed she had not been sleeping and had been scared, but had arranged to meet Mr Rushton.
Sherwin claimed she had put the knife in her pocket because she was frightened and alleged a woman called Sam, who had been with Mr Rushton, had taken hold of her, thrown her against a wall and threatened to kill her. Sherwin claimed she had staggered backwards and the knife had fallen out of her jeans. She said she had not taken the knife out at any stage.
The defendant (35), of Chapelhouse Road, Nelson, had earlier admitted possessing an offensive weapon, but a trial over the facts had been held. She had no previous convictions.
Mr Rushton told the hearing Sherwin had pulled the knife and had been saying he was going to get his head ripped off and that he was a dead man. He said: “I was frightened. I didn’t know if I was going to get hurt or not.”
The hearing was told the prosecution would say Mr Rushton kept the knife and gave it to police. Nobody threatened or attacked the defendant.
Judge Beverley Lunt said Sherwin’s evidence “defied common sense” and that it was Mr Rushton who called the police.
She continued: “I am quite satisfied that this defendant did come out into the street in possession of a knife, produced it and lunged towards Mr Rushton. I am quite satisfied there was nobody named Sam and there was nobody who was threatening or attacking this defendant.”
The defendant sobbed in the dock as the judge bailed her until April 20th for a pre-sentence report and warned her: “You should be prepared for a custodial sentence. This is a very serious matter indeed.”