A mother-of-four has walked free from Court after being sentenced for unlawfully killing her drunken partner.

Julie Harris, 34, cried with relief at being given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, for the manslaughter of Graham Carter.

She said after her sentencing at Leeds Crown Court that she was relieved it was over.

"I just want to go home and be with my family," she said.

Harris, who had been in a relationship with Mr Carter for 16 years, stabbed him in the back during a violent row at their home in Smith Close, Brighouse, last December.

After two days in hospital he returned home but shortly after Christmas he was re-admitted and suffered a fatal heart attack caused by an infection in the knife wound.

The Honourable Mr Justice Smith said that while he thought Mr Carter could be a lovely man and a good father he acknowledged he could change when he had been drinking.

He said he took into account that Harris had suffered years of possessive, abusive and sometimes threatening behaviour.

He said: "This is an exceptional case. I don't believe you were acting in self-defence but I do not believe you seriously intended to hurt him.

"I believe you were trying to assert yourself that you wouldn't put up with abuse and I don't think you intended to hurt him seriously as you didn't drive the knife in further.

"I accept that his verbal and physical threats drove you to lose your self-control."

The judge said he had taken into account that Harris looked after Mr Carter when he came out of hospital and that he had died despite her best efforts to care for him.

He told Harris: "Although the wound was apparently not serious, Mr Carter died in these uncommon circumstances.

"This is a merciful sentence and while I do not condone what you did, when considering the other circumstances I have suspended the sentence for two years."