AN air stewardess who knifed her husband in the back repeatedly subjected him to violence, a court heard.

Mother-of-two and grandmother, Karen Horrocks, 48, left victim Michael Horrocks, her husband of 26 years, pumping with blood after she attacked him with a kitchen knife with a 12-inch blade in a row at their home.

She told him it was only a scratch, but Mr Horrocks said he knew he had to go to hospital.

Before he left, he told the defendant to pack and leave and that he did not want to see her again.

Horrocks responded by saying he should tell medical staff he had fallen off a ladder otherwise she would lose her job.

The defendant, who told a neighbour, “I have done something terrible," turned up at casualty, but the victim told her to leave, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Horrocks, who was suspended after the incident, is currently working at Thomson's head office in Newcastle and is not flying.

Last December, she tried to kill herself, spent several weeks in hospital and on her discharge received support from the community psychiatric team.

The hearing was told Mr Horrocks, who had known his wife for 30 years and still loved her, would say she had two identities.

She could be a loving, attentive and charming wife but on the other hand could be devious, particularly over money, violent, volatile and destructive.

In his victim impact statement, he told the court he thought Horrocks needed help, had not wanted her to be before the court or to be punished and talked of a potential reconciliation.

The defendant, formerly of Hayhurst Street, Clitheroe and now of Newlands Drive, Acomb, York, admitted wounding.

She was given 52 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, with 12 months supervision and must comply with the community mental health team. She had no previous convictions.

Nick Courtney, prosecuting, said there had been a number of incidents of violent or destructive behaviour on her part and they had split up several times for short periods over the years.

Their adult children were aware of previous incidents of violence by their mother towards their father but had never seen him retaliate.

The attack happened after Mr Horrocks was checking a bank statement, discovered an unexpected bill and raised it with the defendant who became hostile.

Mr Courtney said Mr Horrocks felt immediate sharp pain, but his wife said it was only a scratch. The wound was pumping blood and he went to the bathroom to wash it away.

He suffered a two centimetre laceration to his upper back and a one centimetre cut to his left index finger.

Both wounds were stitched and he had made a full recovery.

Katherine Pierpoint, for Horrocks, said it was perhaps unusual and surprising to find a woman like the defendant before the courts for such an extremely serious matter.

Her relationship with her husband had been "extremely turbulent" and emotions were clearly running high.

She was sorry for what happened and realised that perhaps they should no longer be together as a couple.

The defendant used to work out of Manchester airport, but was not flying at the moment.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said it was not for Mr Horrocks to decide what would happen to the defendant because she (the judge) had to protect everybody from the defendant and that included him.

But, the judge told Horrocks: "He thinks, and he probably knows you better than anybody, that you need professional help. I tend to agree."

The judge added: "You must realise how very lucky you are that the injury was not significantly worse."