Bacup mum stabbed her boyfriend in the back in drunken attack and concocted a story to blame a fictional delivery man

Burnley Crown Court heard how Dawn Walker, who has multiple convictions for assaulting police officers, stabbed Damien Taylor with a kitchen knife and washed the weapon before going to his aid.

Prosecutor Nigel Booth told the court how Mr Taylor was found lying in a pool of blood with stab wounds to the back and hand after being attacked by Walker at a friend's flat.

The court heard Walker, 35, of Rossendale Crescent, Bacup, had been at a bonfire event at the town's cricket club hours before the attack on November 4.

Mr Booth said police had been called to an altercation in the street between the defendant and Mr Taylor hours before the stabbing and offered to take them home separately.

The court heard Mr Taylor had gone to the flat of his friend Albert White in Hammerton Street, Bacup, but Walker arrived soon after.

Mr Booth said Mr White had gone to bed and left Walker and Mr Taylor in his living room as they were drunk and it was 'plain that they must have been in an argument'.

The court was told minutes later Mr White heard Mr Taylor 'mumbling' and Walker shouting and went downstairs to investigate.

Mr Booth said: "He went straight back into the living room where he found Mr Taylor lying in the doorway.

"The defendant was cradling Mr Taylor's head and asking what had happened.

"Mr Taylor was trying to talk but his voice was mumbled. The defendant was asking Mr White to call for an ambulance.

"My Taylor was bleeding heavily from his back. There was a large pool of blood forming on the floor underneath him."

The prosecutor said a kitchen knife was found next to the sink, which forensic tests showed was the weapon used in the attack.

The court heard Walker claimed an unidentified delivery man had come to the door of the flat, stabbed Mr Taylor and then left.

Mr Taylor said: "The defendant had assaulted Mr Taylor using the knife found in the kitchen. There's no other explanation.

"It was an attack carried out with coldness and callousness.

"This defendant had used that knife deliberately to stab him in the back.

"She tried to wash the knife and the blood away and then, thinking only of the consequences of herself, returned to her victim and pretended to care for him and comfort him."

The court heard that when Walker was arrested Mr Taylor told her in front of police 'it was a lad that did it' and 'you know how I got stabbed, that lad did it'.

In police interview Walker answered 'no comment' to questions asked as she was instructed to do so by Mr Taylor.

Mr Taylor refused to support the prosecution and would not give consent for the release of his medical records from the attack to the prosecution.

The court heard he is still in a relationship with Walker and sent her postal orders in prison.

Defending Robert Elias told the court that his client was naturally 'placid' but became aggressive after drinking alcohol.

He said she had lost custody of her children because of her issues with alcohol and was trapped in a vicious cycle of depression and substance misuse.

Mr Elias said: "The unusual factor of this case is the absence of a victim.

"We don’t have any medical or victim impact statements. All we know about the injuries are that they bled a lot because there was a lot of blood at the scene.

"This is a case brought by the prosecution on public policy grounds because people can’t cause injuries with knives and nothing happen.

"It’s not a case of the injured party demanding justice. The victim was instead trying to assist her in creating a story."

Walker pleaded not guilty to a charge of wounding with intent but was found guilty after a trial.

The court heard she committed her latest offence during the period of a suspended sentence for her eleventh assault on a police officer.

Judge Ian Leeming said the probation service had not deemed Walker a 'dangerous offender' so he would not impose an extended prison sentence.

She was sentenced to a total of five years and seventh months in jailed.

Speaking after the case Det Con Amanda Bleazard said: "This incident left a man with some nasty injuries and I am pleased the courts have seen fit to hand Dawn Walker a custodial sentence.

"I hope she uses her time in prison to reflect on the consequences of her actions."