A YOUNG mum who stabbed her former boyfriend twice with a kitchen knife has walked free from court without punishment after her victim refused to give evidence.

Zara Porter, 26, had been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent as well as straight GBH following the drunken attack on her ex Peter Harle in February this year.

She had pleaded not guilty to both, but the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence on the charges, which have a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

And after a brief hearing at Swindon Crown Court, Porter walked away without punishment after a judge passed a two-year conditional discharge. This means she may only be punished for the offence if she is convicted of another matter during that period.

Richard Williams, prosecuting, had told the hearing that Porter and Harle, who is father to one of her three children, had been in a stormy relationship six years ago.

On the night of the stabbing in February he said the pair had been drinking fairly heavily at her home in Holbein Mews, Grange Park.

He said: "The two were together at the defendant's home when an argument developed.

"She asked him to leave. He was slow to leave to put it mildly. He loitered at the front door.

"Adjacent to the front door in the kitchen was a knife block containing kitchen knives. She resorted to that and stabbed him once in the leg and once in the arm."

Harle was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment, said Mr Williams, and she was arrested and kept in custody overnight.

He said that the level of alcohol in her system was so high she could not be spoken to by police until 8am the next day almost 12 hours later.

By then, said Mr Williams, Harle had provided the police with a statement saying that he had been stabbed by Porter but did not wish to make a formal complaint of assault.

Victoria Maude, defending, said that had the more serious charges been proceeded with there could have been an argument for her suffering battered wives' syndrome.

She said that her client had suffered years of abuse and that on the night she "snapped".

Miss Maude said: "She always accepted to a certain extent that she must have caused the injuries. There is no other explanation though she couldn't explain how or why."

She said that Porter accepted that her drinking was a problem but she had found help and registered with the Swindon Alcohol and Drugs Service.

Sentencing her, Recorder Mr William Hart said: "Had you been convicted you would, despite your domestic circumstances, have gone to prison. That shows the danger of combining drink and an abusive relationship."