A REMORSELESS woman who stabbed her partner 14 times has been jailed for life.

Preston Crown Court heard how 32-year-old Claire Duckworth attacked victim Justina Mattassa at a house in Richmond Street, Burnley, in June 2017.

When police went to the house they found Ms Mattassa semi-conscious and losing a lot of blood,. At that point Duckworth claimed Ms Mattassa had been attacked by a stranger outside the address.

Ms Mattassa was airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital where she underwent surgery for her injuries, which included four serious stab wounds. It was later determined that any of the four most serious wounds could have proven fatal.

Throughout the investigation both the defendant and Ms Mattassa denied Duckworth was responsible for the attack.

However officers working on the case gathered evidence, including analysis of the blood patterns and of clothing seized from the scene, to prove that the attack had been carried out by Duckworth.

Duckworth, now of Styal Prison, but formerly of Brunshaw Road, Burnley, had been charged with attempted murder. But yesterday Duckworth pleased guilty to grievous bodily harm.

Judge Andrew Woolman jailed Duckworth for life and told her she must serve at leat seven years before being eligible for parole.

In 2008 Duckworth was jailed indefinitely after being convicted of stabbing a man with an eight-inch kitchen knife on his own doorstep. At that point Judge Beverley Lunt branded her a danger to the public. At that point Duckowrth was jailed indefinitely with a recommendation she served a minimum of two years and 155 days.

Speaking after Duckworth's latest court hearing, Det Insp Mark Saunders said: “This was an incredibly complex case which we had to build without any cooperation from the victim. Thankfully the victim survived, but that could easily not have been the case.

“Duckworth has shown little remorse for her actions and I cannot praise highly enough everyone who worked on this case, who went to great lengths to prove she was behind the attack.

WI am pleased with the sentence handed down, and hope Duckworth now uses her time behind bars to reflect on her actions.

“I also hope this result sends a message that whether we have the cooperation of victims or not, we will always thoroughly investigate incidents of this nature, to keep the residents of Lancashire safe.

“Our thoughts are now with the victim, who we hope is able to move forward with her life.”