A MUM has been jailed for stabbing her boyfriend after she discovered he had been having an affair with her best friend.

Rachel Tinsley will serve less than two years in prison for plunging a kitchen knife into her partner's chest and puncturing his lung during a row at their flat in Orford on Halloween.

Warrington Guardian:

Rachel Tinsley

Chester Crown Court heard on Monday, February 18, that the 33-year-old had been in a 'problematic' relationship with Mark Donnelly for four years.

On the day of Tuesday, October 30, the pair had been drinking together before Tinsley visited a friend’s house on Knutsford Road.

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Mr Donnelly then joined them in the property shortly after 9pm.

But the couple began to argue, with Tinsley having discovered the week previously that her boyfriend had been having an affair with her best friend.

After being asked to leave the house, the defendant went into the town centre while Mr Donnelly returned to the couple's first-floor flat on Derek Avenue.

Warrington Guardian:

The flat on Derek Avenue - picture by Google Maps

She then arrived home in the early hours of Wednesday, October 31, to find her partner drinking in the living room having damaged a mirror and some of her clothes.

The couple began arguing and Mr Donnelly 'became aggressive', grabbing her by the arms.

In what was described as a 'spur of the moment thing', Tinsley then stabbed him with an eight-inch kitchen knife before pulling the weapon out of his chest and hitting him on the shoulder with it.

Mr Donnelly fled to a phone box near to the shops on Poplars Avenue in order to alert the emergency services.

Warrington Guardian:

The phone box on Poplars Avenue was cordoned off following the incident

On arrival, police found him drifting in and out of consciousness having suffered 'significant' blood loss.

He was taken to Warrington Hospital by ambulance before being transferred to Aintree Hospital, where he spent four days before being discharged.

Mr Donnelly's injuries included a four-inch open wound to the left hand side of his chest, a punctured lung, a wound on his shoulder and several tendons and nerves in his right thumb.

Tinsley was arrested in the flat, at which point she asked: "Has Mark called the police?

"Has he said I tried to kill him?"

Mr Donnelly later told the police that Tinsley's actions were 'out of character'.

Tinsley, who appeared in court via video link to HMP New Hall, has previously been convicted of assaulting Mr Donnelly - having thrown food in his face, attempted to punch him and kicked him in the shin during an early hours attack in the town centre.

But the couple hope to 'rekindle' their relationship after her release from prison.

The defendant - who is studying for an NVQ in hairdressing in prison and has enrolled on a course aimed at tackling her drinking - has a total of seven previous convictions for offences including racially abusing and assaulting a taxi driver, assaulting police officers and making homophobic comments to a custody suite officer.

She is also currently serving a 22-week imprisonment for criminal damage and a public order offence.

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Defence barrister Simeon Evans told the court: "This is, in many ways, a sad case.

Warrington Guardian:

Chester Crown Court

"The defendant lived quite happily with her daughter for about eight years before forming a relationship with Mr Donnelly.

"Her drinking has certainly become much worse since then, and she can now see that alcohol is a problem for her.

"It is clear that the relationship has been difficult from the outset, with violence both ways.

"The girl's father became involved and he sought residence of the child, meaning she lost the daughter she had brought up from a baby.

"The week before this incident she discovered that he had been having an affair with her best friend, and on the night in question they had argued about this.

"Clearly, he was in her face and being aggressive - but she understands that this is a serious offence and that she must receive an immediate custodial sentence."

Tinsley admitted unlawful wounding during an earlier court hearing in November and was jailed for a total of 20 months by Recorder Louise Brandon earlier this week.

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Sentencing, Recorder Brandon said: "Only a sentence of immediate imprisonment is justified in this case.

"This has been a volatile relationship.

"You were encouraged not to live with Mr Donnelly because of the violence you committed against each other, and you lost your home and the custody of your daughter because of it.

"There were elements of excessive self defence and provocation, and there was no clear premeditation.

"Although you have taken steps to address your offending and reliance on alcohol, it is something of a contradiction between how hard you are trying to better yourself while being seemingly keen to rekindle a relationship that has been so destructive.

"You need to give that decision very serious thought.

"If you do rekindle the relationship, it will undermine the work you are presently doing."