WOMAN STABBED BY THUG PARTNER AFTER MEAL ROW
A woman from Northampton, who was assaulted by her partner during a dispute over a meal she prepared, has stated her only wish is for him to return home.Stephen Coleman, aged 48, had a record of 22 convictions across 37 separate crimes before he appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday.
Several of these convictions involved knife-related offences where his partner was the victim.
Court proceedings revealed that on February 17 this year, he recklessly stabbed his partner in the thigh following an argument about the meal.
During police interviews, she explained that Coleman had forgotten he was holding a knife when he approached her.
Their dispute began in the early hours of February 17, after which his partner went to bed.
Later, she found Coleman downstairs drinking, and a further argument ensued.
When she returned to bed, Coleman entered the room armed with a kitchen knife, threatening self-harm.
The judge, Recorder William Davis, described Coleman's action as reckless, noting that he lunged forward and inflicted a four-centimetre-deep stab wound.
She subsequently went to Northampton General Hospital for treatment.
Prosecutor Claire Howell emphasized Coleman's history of similar offences involving this same woman, including a 2010 incident where he punched her and a threat to kill her in 2014.
Despite the legal proceedings, Coleman's partner provided mitigation for him, with Colin Charvill arguing that mental health issues and alcohol dependence were at the core of his behaviour.
Charvill stated that Coleman had struggled to access mental health support during the Covid pandemic and mentioned that his partner, recently diagnosed with cancer, relied heavily on him.
She reportedly expressed her desire for him to be back home and had begun university studies prior to the pandemic.
Coleman was sentenced to two years in prison for unlawful wounding, with an even split between custody and community work.
Recorder Davis acknowledged Coleman's mental health and his partner's support but emphasized that a prison sentence was necessary due to his serious past involving domestic violence and knife offences.
He made it clear that the severity of the offence demanded appropriate punishment.
