Marlborough mum spared jail after knifing ex-boyfriend in head (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Marlborough mum spared jail after knifing ex-boyfriend in head

12:51pm Monday 29th October 2012 in News By Staff reporter

A young mum who stabbed her former partner in the head in a fit of rage has escaped a jail term after a judge heard her victim didn't want to see her behind bars.

Toni Trotman, of Purlyn Acre, Marlborough, was five months' pregnant and suspecting her ex of sleeping with her best friend when she launched the attack as he collected his clothes from her flat.

But after hearing Liam Ferris didn't want the 21-year-old to be jailed a judge sitting at Swindon crown court on Friday, imposed a community order on the Marlborough mum.

Recorder Robert Linford said: "Whilst complainants don't dictate sentences, courts have to take the wishes of complainants into account.

"I can't imagine, despite what has gone on, he is going to want to see the mother of his son go to prison."

He added that she had experienced a 'terrible life' having, from the age of eight, been responsible for raising her siblings because their mother was an alcoholic.

Trotman had denied carrying out the assault, but changed her plea to admit unlawful wounding after the victim gave evidence on the first morning of her trial.

Mr Ferris, who is currently serving a one year jail term for drunken violence assault outside a pub, insisted he was not seeing the pal, but accepted they later got together for a while.

He said they had been together for about seven months when he dumped her by text on as they had been arguing the night before.

On Friday February 10 he got a message telling him to collect his things or she would throw them into the street.

She was throwing his stuff down the stairs when a knife came down so he shouted 'If you are going to stab me, do it properly.'

Moments later he had gone up a few steps to pick up something and she came down a couple, when he realised she had the bread knife in her hand.

She brought it down on his head, 'like when you serve in tennis', and he ducked causing it to strike him on the top of the scalp.

"If I didn't duck it would have got my throat, or my cheekbone," he told the court.

When he looked up he said Trotman had turned round, so he marched her to the top of the stairs in an arm lock before fleeing.

At hospital he had ten staples inserted into the wound in his head, which had bled heavily, and he said it was the paramedics who involved the police, not him.

Trotman admitted unlawful wounding.

Martin Wiggins, defending, said she had children aged three month and three years and lived an isolated life.

He said her father died during the first pregnancy and during the second she lost her brother, was dumped by text and then the assault took place.

Her childhood and education were sacrificed, he said, as she looked after her younger siblings from the age of eight.

The judge imposed a two year community order and told her she would be under supervision for that time warning her it would be a 'grave error of judgement' if she lost her temper and lashed out again.