A WOMAN attacked her boyfriend with kitchen knives and stabbed him in the leg after an argument over gambling, a court heard.

Gail Roberts, of Jubilee Road, Lower Wick, Worcester, was jailed for 15 months at Worcester Crown Court after pleading guilty to unlawful wounding.

The court heard that her then-boyfriend of three years, Mark Graham, needed stitches after the attack which left him with an inch-deep cut to his left leg.

The attack happened while Roberts was on licence for another offence when she threw a bottle at a teenage girl in a pub, cutting her forehead.

Recorder Adrian Red-grave QC told the 37-year-old that there were not many women who acquired a criminal record for two violent crimes within the space of two years and warned her that Mr Graham’s injuries could have been much worse.

“Knives are horribly dangerous weapons,” he said.

“In the context of a violent incident between you and your then-boyfriend, the use of a knife, fortunately here, did not result in a particularly serious injury – but it could equally have killed him."

The court heard that Roberts and 27-year-old Mr Graham had gone out drinking and bowling on October 25 last year, but things turned sour as they started to argue after spending hundreds of pounds on fruit machines and a roulette table.

Alex Warren, prosecuting, told the court that the argument escalated after they returned to Roberts’ home and came to a head when Mr Graham said he wanted to go back into the city centre.

"He turned and saw the defendant coming towards him holding a couple of kitchen knives, one in each hand,” he said.

“She lunged towards him and he ran up the stairs. He then saw the longer of the two knives sticking into the back of his left thigh.”

When he tried to leave the house, Roberts attacked him again with another knife, this time only damaging his jumper.

“She didn’t intend to cause him any injury at this stage,” said Mr Warren.

Mr Graham was taken to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital where he had six stitches for the cut.

Simon Burns, defending, told the court the couple had had a volatile relationship which could occasionally turn violent.

He read a statement from Roberts in which she said loneliness and fear had kept her from leaving the relationship, which could be abusive.

"She is genuinely remorseful and apologetic to Mr Graham and any members of his family,” he said.