St Helens woman who stabbed ex-partner with knife jailed

Sonia Munro, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday afternoon, May 31, after she had pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

The court heard that Munro and the victim, who lived in a neighbouring flat from her, had been drinking heavily before the violent episode broke out.

Munro then rang the police herself after the stabbing.

Munro, 45, appeared via video link for her sentencing from custody wearing a pink hoodie.  

Munro called the police after stabbing ex-partner

Prosecuting, Derek Jones told the court: “The circumstances are slightly unusual in that it was the defendant who called the police after the incident.

“(The victim) was the ex-partner of the defendant. On the night of March 21, they were socialising together in (the victim’s) flat. It’s quite clear that they both drank a lot of alcohol.

“(The victim) states during the evening the defendant was acting strangely talking about a dream she was having that a man they both know had shot her in her dream and she became more and more annoyed about it and he told her not to worry.

“(The victim) then remembers arguing with her and stood in the hallway in his living room. He states the next thing he recalls is another neighbour telling the defendant to ‘drop the knife’ and felt a pain in his chest and noticed he was bleeding.”

Mr Jones said the victim remembered a “yellow-handled” knife although the neighbour described a knife being green and blue, stating the prosecution “can’t say which knife was used to deliver the blow to the chest”.

Munro called the police and “met them outside” and said the victim had “told her to stab him”. Mr Jones said paramedics attended but “didn’t have any concerns it was anything other than a superficial wound and he (the victim) wasn’t taken to hospital for any treatment.

Munro was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court (Image: St Helens Star)

After her arrest, Munro said to officers the victim “asked her to do it” and said “she would have carried on if the other person hadn’t intervened”.  

Mr Jones told the court they had received no victim personal statement.

Munro had 10 previous convictions for 11 offences the court heard, including for possession of a bladed article in 2015 for which she received a suspended sentence and for breaches of court orders.

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Defending Munro, Matthew O’Neill asked the court to “afford her the opportunity” to “complete requirements to address her misuse of alcohol” and asked the judge to suspend any prison term.

He said “her level of remorse is evidenced by her contacting the police herself”.

He said the past nine weeks has been her “first time in custody” and that she is a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

Judge imposes immediate jail term

Passing sentence, judge Brian Cummings KC said there are “three aggravating factors” in the case.

These include her “previous convictions” and “history of breaching court orders”, which “calls into question whether you would be able to comply with the requirements of a suspended sentence”.

The judge added the offence being “committed under the influence of alcohol” and there being an “element of domestic violence” due to her previous relationship with the victim were also aggravating factors.

The judge acknowledged there is a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation” adding “I’m not writing you off at this stage of your life” and “some personal mitigation”.

However, he cited Munro’s pre-sentence report which stated she “poses a high risk of serious harm” to the victim which is “exacerbated” by Munro’s claim she in “likelihood” will “relapse into alcohol misuse once released”. The judge said to her: “I acknowledge you were being frank with the reporting officer but it’s a factor I must take into account”.

Judge Cummings added: “Having considered the factors I am sorry to say the balance comes down against suspending the sentence, therefore the sentence must be served immediately.”

He gave Munro, of Kings Road, West Park, a 10-month jail term, of which she must serve half minus the time already spent in custody, before being released on licence.

A three-year restraining order for Munro not to contact or approach her victim was also imposed.