Woman, 22, who admitted stabbing and controlling girlfriend jailed for eight years

Paige Cook, 22, of Bishopgate Court in Howden, East Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent after stabbing her girlfriend in the arm in October 2019 following an argument over a mobile phone.

The court heard Cook had physically abused her partner throughout their relationship, stabbing her two other times, as well as being emotionally abusive by calling her names and telling her what she could and couldn’t wear.

Cook would repeatedly threaten and assault her partner with household objects, knives and scissors, as well as damaging her belongings, controlling her phone use and restricting her access to friends and family.

After she was charged Cook continued to emotionally manipulate her victim, contacting her from prison up to 22 times a day to tell her to withdraw her statement and playing on her feelings of guilt.

Cook even proposed marriage at one stage, but the sham was exposed when the officer in the case uncovered a letter she had written to another inmate, referring to the victim, saying: “She’s either not going, or coming and saying I’m not guilty so either way it’s safe. She still thinks we’re engaged and everything LOL LOL LOL hilarious”.

Cook, who the court heard had prior convictions for violence against previous ex-partners, also pleaded guilty to wounding in relation to an incident which happened in February 2020 in Cumbria, an assault occasioning actual bodily harm from December 2018, coercive and controlling behaviour in an intimate relationship between October 2018 and January 2020, and a series of acts intended to pervert the course of justice between February and June of this year.

The courts also granted a restraining order for a period of 10 years, to further protect the vulnerable victim from Cook.

Detective Sergeant Tracy St Paul applauded the victim for coming forward. She said: “Even though Paige Cook is now behind bars I know that her actions will forever live with her victim.

"She has only now started to put the pieces of her life back together with specialist support and that of her family."

Det Sgt St Paul said domestic abuse was a priority for the force and that the police were there "to listen" and make people "feel safe", adding: "We would encourage anyone who is a victim of these crimes to contact us."

People can apply for a “Clare’s Law” disclosure under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme if they have concerns over a partner’s past.

Details can be found on Humberside Police's website.