A WOMAN has been cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter after she plunged a knife into her partner's chest, killing him in the kitchen of his brother's home.

The jury returned shortly before noon today, unanimously clearing Cordelia Farrell of murder but convicting her of manslaughter and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after a two week trial at Worcester Crown Court.

Cordelia Farrell, who put her head in her hands as the verdicts were announced, stabbed her partner Wayne Coventry a little over a month before she killed him with a kitchen knife in his brother's Bromsgrove house.

She will be sentenced for manslaughter and ABH tomorrow morning by Judge James Burbidge QC.

A jury was told how just over a month before the fatal stabbing she had bitten and twisted his testicles, dragging him around his flat by them before stabbing him in the back with a piece of broken crockery.

The 38-year-old of Dainton Grove, Birmingham, killed Mr Coventry on October 14 last year.

The assault occasioning actual bodily harm happened on September 11 last year.

Dafydd Enoch QC, described the couple's two and a half year relationship as 'toxic' and 'characterised by violence and jealousy'.

Both Farrell and Mr Coventry were described as drinkers who also indulged in drug-taking.

Mr Enoch said in his opening: "In front of three witnesses this defendant removed from a kitchen knife block a large kitchen knife and she turned to Wayne Coventry who turned to face her . She raised the knife up high and brought it down in a classic stabbing motion and plunged it deep into the middle of his chest. It went in to a depth of 9cm. It went straight into his aorta. He didn't stand a chance. He collapsed and died within a minute or two."

Speaking of the earlier assault Mr Enoch said: "It's no coincidence that the defendant was to say to the police a month before the killing, when she was arrested for assault, that one of them would end up dead. How right she was in that prophecy."

Mr Enoch went on to describe how Mr Coventry called 999 while he was in the process of being attacked by Farrell on September 11 last year, a recording played to the jury.

"During the course of that assault Miss Farrell grabbed Mr Coventry by the testicles in both her hands and later dragged him around the flat by his testicles. That of course caused him immense pain and swelling" said the barrister.

He also said in the course of that attack she later bit his private parts

"She was to stab him in the back with a piece of broken crockery or glass, causing a wound to his back" said Mr Enoch.

Police body worn video footage was shown of Mr Coventry, bleeding from his face and back, displaying the injury to his genitals to an officer who had arrived at the scene.

The defendant who was arrested and handcuffed nearby went on to say she was acting in self-defence.

In interview she said: "It's getting worse and worse and one of us is going to end up dead."