Jealous knife attacker receives jail sentence after injuring friend

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday how Coleen Wilkinson had been comforting Emma Kershaw’s distressed boyfriend at his Halifax bedsit following the death of his father.

Kershaw, who claimed to have been listening at the door of the flat, took serious offence to this action and confronted Miss Wilkinson with a knife.

Kershaw, who had problems with alcohol and drug addiction and had been drinking at the time, lashed out with the knife towards Ms Wilkinson.

The court heard that the complainant tried to protect her face with her hand and that in doing so the knife cut deeply into the nerve and tendon between the thumb and finger.

During the attack, which took place at a bedsit in Union Street South last September, Kershaw also slashed her victim across the forehead and shoulder.

When Kershaw said she had been listening at the door Miss Wilkinson replied: “We weren’t doing anything.”

After the complainant left the flat she was taken to hospital where she required stitches put into the wounds she had received.

She also underwent surgery to repair her damaged hand.

Kershaw, of West Parade, Sowerby Bridge, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and asked her barrister to publicly apologise for the attack on her behalf.

Barrister Abigail Langford said Kershaw had difficulties with drugs and alcohol but was now working to resolve those issues while in custody.

She said the attack was triggered by her client’s excessive consumption of alcohol.

Jailing Kershaw, who had previous convictions for various offences, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said she had come across a situation she misunderstood and had reacted extremely violently in drink.

He said that following the attack the victim could no longer use her hand properly and had been left with scarring elsewhere on her body.

He said that the attack was an isolated incident which had been motivated by Kershaw’s jealousy.