iStockA woman inflicted a serious head injury on her 70-year-old partner in a knife attack before claiming to police that it was the victim who went for her.
Laura King, 39, struck her victim with a large kitchen knife after he earlier disarmed her of another blade and told her “not to be silly”, a court heard on Tuesday.
King admitted assaulting the retired victim at his home in Keats Place, Dundee, on October 5 last year to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of life, when she appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh via video link to prison.
A judge told King: “It is a serious offence because it involves an assault on your partner using a knife which caused serious harm.”
Lady Ross said it was of “particular concern” that the crime was committed after previous violent offending by King.
The court heard that King has previous convictions for similar types of offences at sheriff court level.
Advocate depute Jennifer Nicholson-White said King and her victim were in a relationship for about two and a half years at the time of the attack, which occurred after she visited her partner.
The prosecutor said: “The complainer was suspicious that the accused was under the influence of drugs and asked her about this.”
She said that shortly after midnight, King became angry and picked up a serrated kitchen knife and brandished at her partner. He took the knife from her, put it in a sink and told her not to be silly.
The advocate depute said: “The complainer then went into the living room and sat on the sofa. The accused came into the room and approached him. She struck him on the head with the blade of a large kitchen knife.”
The court heard that the wound began bleeding, and King gave the man a towel to use in a bid to stem the blood flow.
The prosecutor said: “The wound continued to bleed and soaked three towels which the accused gave to the complainer. At around 00.10 hours the accused phoned 999 and requested an ambulance.”
Paramedics arrived at the property and King told them her partner had fallen over in the bathroom and hit his head.
Unemployed King then claimed that she needed to leave but paramedics heard her tell her partner “not to be a grass” as she departed.
One of the paramedics noted there was no blood to be seen in the bathroom but there was significant blood staining in the living room. A pressure dressing was applied to the man’s head wound. After King left, he told them that she struck him with a knife.
The attack victim was still bleeding when he arrived at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee where four stitches were inserted into his injury. He was discharged the following day, but was left permanently scarred.
Police attended at King’s home and saw blood staining on her clothes and cigarettes. After she was cautioned, she said: “It was him that went for me.”
Sentence was deferred on King for the preparation of a background report and she was remanded in custody.
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