A mother-of-two has been spared jail despite stabbing her ex-boyfriend after a judge ruled she had been a victim of "long-term domestic and physical abuse."
Emma Westwood knifed Christopher Clark after he attacked her with a broken bottle, the court heard.
The 36-year-old had won a restraining order against Mr Clark due to his violent behaviour towards her during their year long relationship, but for 18 months he kept ignoring the contact ban and continually harassed her.
When he eventually went to prison, Westwood moved house to a secret address in a bid to escape him but Mr Clarke still tracked her down.
Following his release and after getting drunk on vodka he attacked her in the kitchen of her home in Sale, Greater Manchester.
During the terrifying 3am confrontation, Clarke also 36, broke down the front door of Westwood's home and lunged at her with the broken bottle, only for her to fight back and stab him twice in the chest.
He fled into the street before collapsing outside.
Police were called to the scene by Westwood's father to find Clark lying on the pavement outside with blood pouring from his wounds.
Clark recovered from his injuries but declined to give a statement to officers. Westwood was arrested after she admitted to stabbing him in self defence.
At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Westwood initially faced a possible life sentence after she was charged with wounding Clark with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
But she wept as she was freed with a 16 months jail sentence suspended for two years after prosecutors accepted her plea to the lesser charge of unlawful wounding due to Clark's abusive behaviour.
The pair had started dating in 2018 but in September the following year, Clarke, of Wythenshawe, Manchester had been issued with a restraining order banning him from contacting Miss Westwood for three years after he was convicted of assault and sending malicious communications.
Despite the ban Clark carried on hounding Westwood and in February was jailed for 26 weeks for breaching the restraining order
Sentencing Judge John Potter told Westwood: "To your credit, you told the police the truth about what had happened.
"You were honest and open with the police immediately.
"The knife you used is a very dangerous weapon. But there is exceptional mitigation to stop you from going to custody today."
