A woman left her partner with deep knife wounds to his hands with a bread knife during a row over a TV news story.
Angela Wight and the victim had been drinking when an argument blew up over the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. A court heard the man went to bed to get away from Wight but then went back downstairs and the argument resumed and Wight ended up damaging a TV by kicking the stand.
Emma Dowling, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court : "He became angry and ordered her out of the address and told her to get her stuff. He threw various items out of the front door.
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"The defendant picked up a bread knife from the kitchen, which she held towards the complainant, who grabbed the blade at that point and she pulled it back, which resulted in him sustaining two deep lacerations to the base of his left and right thumbs.
"They were 2 to 3cm lacerations and the tendons were visible. He was referred to plastic surgery and the wounds were closed surgically. The defendant also sustained some injuries."
Police attended after complaints by members of the public who heard and saw what was going on. Wight, who has 22 previous convictions, including assaults and arson, is assessed as posing a high risk of serious harm when drinking.
Wight, 51, of Talbot Road, South Shields, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and was sentenced to 14 months suspended for 18 months. She had claimed she acted in self-defence after he kicked and punched her but admitted her actions went beyond reasonable self-defence.
The court heard the victim did not attend court when a trial was listed and there has been a reconciliation to some extent.
Shaun Routledge, defending, said: "It's a particularly sad case and could've been more serious than, ultimately, it ended up. The injured party had a certain hold over my client and they both had their problems.
"There was an abusive relationship and she was very frightened of the injured party. There have been, over the years, a great deal of call outs for domestic incidents. She has been the victim and the perpetrator.
"Alcohol and various substances have played their part in her life. She has now moved away from Wallsend and lives in South Shields and is getting a great deal of help from her daughters."
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