NOTTS WOMAN STABBED HER PARTNER AFTER THEY FELL OUT DURING HOLIDAY AT INGOLDMELLS CARAVAN PARK
A woman left her partner with a life-threatening injury after they fell out during a holiday which was intended to patch up their "volatile" relationship, Lincoln Crown Court was told.Chelsea Wilkie picked up a six-inch bladed kitchen knife to keep Luke Whitworth at bay during the dispute inside the holiday caravan where they were staying at Ingoldmells.
In the struggle that followed she stabbed Mr Whitworth in the chest.
Prosecutor Michael Cranmer-Brown said that the couple had been in the bar at the Golden Sands Holiday Park and arrived separately back at their caravan.
"There was an exchange of abuse and an incident in which he assaulted her at which point she picked up the knife to keep him at bay.
It was reckless in the extreme and highly likely to lead, as did happen, to one or other of them suffering serious injury." Mr Cranmer-Brown said a woman staying at a neighbouring caravan looked out to see what was happening after hearing a bang.
The prosecutor told the court "The female was shouting hysterically and the man was shouting that he was going to die.
The defendant was saying she had killed him." The neighbour went to help and police were called.
Mr Cranmer-Brown said "Mr Whitworth was saying conflicting things at the scene about how he suffered the injuries blaming her at one stage and then saying he had done it himself." The police sergeant who attended could see Mr Whitworth was in an extremely poor state.
His lips were blue and his pulse was weak.
It was obvious that he was extremely seriously injured and as a result the officer arrested the defendant.
Mr Whitworth was initially taken to hospital in Boston but later transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre.
He suffered a punctured lung.
After undergoing treatment he discharged himself but days later was admitted to the Kings Mill Hospital after a reaction to a clotting agent he was given led to him suffering a stroke.
Mr Cranmer-Brown said "The defendant in her interview gave an account of a turbulent relationship.
She said Mr Whitworth had drink issues and he was trying to demonstrate to her that he had changed.
That's why they had gone to Ingoldmells." Since the incident, the prosecutor added, the couple have ended their relationship and each has gone their own way.
The court was told that at the time of the incident Wilkie was on a suspended jail sentence imposed by Nottingham Magistrates for an offence of battery arising out of an earlier incident when she threw a knife at Mr Whitworth.
Wilkie, 24, of Vera Crescent, Rainworth, on Tuesday, May 29, admitted a charge of unlawful wounding as a result of the incident on 29 August 2017.
She was given a 16-month jail sentence suspended for two years with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
Judge John Pini QC said he was taking an exceptional course in not sending her to an immediate jail sentence, noting that "The offence is two years old and you have committed no further offences in that time.
It is quite clear that you have substantially turned your life around." He also mentioned that Mr Whitworth was reluctant to give evidence and admitted being "half to blame" for what happened.
Alison Summers, representing Wilkie in mitigation, said that on the night the couple had made up after arguing in the bar, and on the way back to their caravan, they were fooling around and laughing.
Miss Summers added that Wilkie accepted she had caused a life-threatening injury but has since turned her life around after spending three months in custody on remand before being bailed.
She is now a mother of two and acknowledges the relationship is over.
After the sentencing, Luke Whitworth, 29, admitted being in contempt of court for failing to attend at the Crown Court in October last year when Wilkie was originally due to face trial.
The hearings were adjourned as he missed two court dates and he was fined £300.
