A WOMAN who repeatedly stabbed her partner during a row has been jailed for what a judge described as a vicious and brutal attack.

Dawn McMillan, 37, carrried out the attack on Jamie Kettle at his home in Osborne Street, Colchester, on July 10, last year.

She admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

Mr Kettle needed hospital treatment for seven knife wounds, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Nneka Akudou, prosecuting, said a struggle broke out after the victim let McMillan in when she turned up shouting outside his home.

“He accepted pushing her away and said all of a sudden she had a knife and started attacking him,” said Miss Akudo.

“He had to leave the room to get away from her.”

McMillan, of Military Road, Colchester, claimed she acted in self-defence after Mr Kettle attacked her, but admitted going too far.

The court heard she stabbed him again and again with the knife because she didn't want him to hurt her. Tests later showed controlled drugs, including cocaine, in her system.

McMillan also admitted affray and attempted theft following an incident at a Tesco supermarket in Colchester.

She tried to steal two packets of pork and lashed out after being caught by staff.

Miss Akudo said: “She took a syringe out of her bag and said ‘I’ve got Aids and I’m going to share it with you’.

“She injected herself and started bleeding. They backed off and she was able to run out of the store.”

David Howell, mitigating, said McMillan’s now ex-partner had a history of domestic violence against her.

“She never intended using that knife,” he said. “She grabbbed it in desperation.”

Mr Howell said McMillan had dramatically turned her life around while on remand in Holloway.

But Judge Anthony Goldstaub QC said the attack on Mr Kettle had been “disgraceful”.

“There was no excuse for that brutal stabbbing,” said the judge.

“He was lucky and, indeed, you were lucky that he survived the attack which included stab wounds about the area of his chest and slashes to the wrist.

“Only good fortune prevents this, in my judgment, from being a murder or a manslaughter case.”

The judge also said the Aids threat to Tesco staff had been terrifying.

McMillan was jailed for a total of 30 months.

The judge accepted she had tried to rehabilitate herself, but told her: “That promises well for the future, but for the time being you must be punished for what you have done.”