Man knifed partner then butted police van after downing '30 to 40 bottles of lager'

Tearful Craig Butterworth, 29, later told his mum he needed help after stabbing Emma Holmes at their home in Farway, Holme Wood.

He also told a neighbour: "I’ve stabbed her. I don’t know why I’ve done it."

Bradford Crown Court heard that mum-of-four Miss Holmes had been in her pyjamas when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back and realised that she had been stabbed.

Prosecutor John Bull said Miss Holmes also suffered a cut to the top of her leg during the incident at the house last December.

Mr Bull said Butterworth became aggressive when officers tried to arrest him and he deliberately banged his head against the side of the police van causing a cut to his head.

At the police station he made references to hearing voices which had been telling him to harm people.

Miss Holmes had to have about seven stitches put in the wound to her back, but Mr Bull said fortunately she hadn’t suffered any internal injuries.

When police searched the house they found a blood-stained knife which matched the complainant’s DNA.

During his police interview Butterworth admitted he had been drinking heavily that day and estimated he had consumed between 30 and 40 bottles of lager.

The court heard that a psychiatric report prepared on Butterworth had not found any mental illness and Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said the attack appeared to be have been for no reason.

Butterworth, who has been remanded in custody since December, was subject to a community order at the time of the stabbing for a previous assault on Miss Holmes and in 2009 he was jailed for four years for robbery.

Today, Butterworth was jailed for 28 months after he admitted unlawfully wounding his partner.

Judge Durham Hall also imposed an indefinite restraining order, which was not opposed by Butterworth’s lawyer.

The judge said it had been a very serious attack on a woman who was vulnerable at the time.