A YOUNG mum suffered a punctured lung when she was stabbed by her partner during a row over their son who died of cot death.

Christy Smith was knifed three times by Ian Shepherd during a New Year's Eve Party at their home in Nelson, Burnley Crown Court was told.

Shepherd accompanied her to the hospital in an ambulance but when he returned with her in a taxi he hit her repeatedly in the face, according to prosecutors.

And when the argument erupted again back at the house, and she told him he couldn't visit their son's grave, he punched her twice more, busting her nose and leaving her with a 'fat lip'.

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Shepherd, 32, of Southfield Street, Nelson admitted unlawfully wounding Miss Smith with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm and an assault charge.

Jailing him for eight years, Judge Beverley Lunt, said: "This took place completely out of the blue and Miss Smith had no chance to defend herself."

Prosecutor Antony Longworth told the court the pair had been in a 'volatile relationship' for three years, which had involved complaints of domestic violence.

Their son Shay was born in February 2016 but he tragically died as a result of sudden infant death syndrome the following April, while Shepherd was serving a prison term.

But when he was released last November, he became suspicious that Miss Smith had been unfaithful to him, the court heard.

Mr Longworth said the couple were drinking with friends, and had also taken cocaine, when he started accusing her again of sleeping with someone else.

Shepherd jumped up suddenly and Miss Smith felt a blow to her ribs. She had been stabbed twice and slashed once with a kitchen knife.

The victim was reluctant to seek medical attention but was eventually taken by ambulance to hospital.

Shepherd accompanied her and could be heard telling her that, with their son no longer alive, they had nothing to live for.

Mr Longworth said Miss Smith, who received eight stitches for one wound and two each for the other injuries, insisted she did not want to remain on a ward.

The couple caught a taxi back and continued to argue, with her accepting she hit him, after accusing him of the stabbing 'and not even being sorry', the court was told.

Mr Longworth said the pair appeared to calm down but Shepherd reared up again, hitting Miss Smith several times in the face and trying to strangle her.

The police were called but the victim was reluctant to make a complaint, even texting him at one point, urging him not to speak to officers, as she would refuse to give a statement.

The court heard Miss Smith, with the support of police and her family, eventually relented and made a formal complaint about Shepherd's violence.

In a statement, Miss Smith, who still suffers from breathing problems, said her ex-partner was a 'bully and a narcissist' but she had felt he was the only one who understood her after the death of their son.

Philip Holden, defending, said his client accepted he had committed 'an awful crime' and had come clean about the offences in a letter in early March.

The court heard Shepherd, who was serving a two-and-a-half year prison sentence at the time, had been taken to his son's funeral in handcuffs.

Mr Holden said that ironically the couple, to manage their grief, had arranged to attend counselling sessions together in January, after the offences took place.