Sheffield Crown Court: Mentally-ill woman stabbed her partner through the chest before calling an ambulance

Claudia Stephenson, aged 33, of Beaumont Drive, Rotherham, had been arguing with her partner Christopher Shaw and she spat at him and he spat back at her before she stabbed him with a knife, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing on December 23.

Prosecuting barrister Ian West said: “On March 20, this year, a little before midday, they argued. In the argument she spat towards the complainant. He spat back and she took a knife and stabbed him once through the chest.

"He collapsed to the floor. She was shocked by her actions and she telephoned the emergency services and an ambulance who came.”

Mr West explained that Mr Shaw has always been of the view that Stephenson did not mean what she had done and there are hopes to resume the relationship.

Stephenson, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

Defence barrister Nicola Quinney said Mr Shaw and a health worker had attended the court and they have been extremely supportive towards the defendant.

Ms Quinney added that because Stephenson has been remanded in custody for so long she has already served the equivalent of an 18 month sentence with the provision that she would have been released at the half-way period.

Judge Michael Slater told Stephenson: “I have heard impressive comments about you from the number of references that have been provided including that from the complainant in this case.

"It’s clear to me from these references and from the letter you have written yourself and the report about you that I have seen that you have struggled with serious health issues for a very long time and that you have done your best to address those issues.

"But it seems to me that the pandemic was a grave obstacle for you in terms of addressing, in particular, your OCD and it exacerbated both that and limited your capabilities throughout.

"I am quite satisfied that during the course of the argument when you produced a knife there were compelling mental health reasons as to why you did so and I reduce your culpability as a result.”

However, Judge Slater added that taking a knife to someone is an extremely serious matter and would ordinarily result in a custodial sentence but he acknowledged that punishment has been served in this matter because the defendant has been remanded in custody.

He explained that a ‘punitive element’ had been served by virtue of the time Stephenson has already spent remanded in custody should anyone be under the wrong impression that the defendant had ‘got away with anything’.

He sentenced Stephenson to a two-year community order with a 30 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

Judge Slater told the defendant that if she commits no further offences which he said he was ‘pretty sure’ she would not, and if she complies with the order she will hear no more of this matter. But he warned Stephenson that if she breaches the order or commits another offence she will be in “jeopardy”.