Wife cut husband's head open with meat cleaver after he headbutted her during drunken fight

Sara Middleton struck her partner twice with the weapon during the incident at their flat in Wakefield.

Leeds Crown Court heard the incident happened after they had spent the evening drinking in the city centre.

Catherine Duffy, prosecuting, said Middleton and her son lived in a flat with her husband and his son.

The couple went drinking in the Strafford Arms at 6pm on January 4 this year.

Miss Duffy said Middleton, 34, spent the evening drinking lager and gin and her partner had six pints of lager before they returned home at 10.30pm.

The couple fell asleep in the living room kitchen area.

The prosecutor said: "The complainant woke up and saw the defendant telling (his son) to go home.

"The defendant said 'I suggest you leave as you are not going to like what's going to happen next.'

"While in the kitchen, the complainant and the defendant got into an argument."

Middleton took a meat cleaver from a knife block during the row and struck her partner to the head and leg.

Miss Duffy said it was accepted by the Crown that Middleton had caused the injury after she was headbutted in the face.

Police were called to the property and the defendant told officers: "He told me not to say anything to the police, but he headbutted me so I got a knife and hit him on the head with it."

Officers recovered a silver meat cleaver from the living room floor.

Middleton's partner was taken to hospital to have the wounds to his head and leg glued.

Middleton received cuts to her nose and lip during the disturbance.

Middleton, of Ings Road, Wakefield, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

She has previous convictions for assault and criminal damage.

Andrew Nixon, mitigating, said Middleton pleaded guilty to the offence at an early stage and had not been in trouble for 12 years before the incident.

Middleton was given an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

She was also ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.