A single mother stabbed her former boyfriend through the heart when he accidentally called her by the name of his new girlfriend, a Court heard.

Royal Marine James Swallow, 23, of Rawdon, died from massive internal bleeding when Danielle Bradley, 26, plunged a large knife into his chest at her flat.

Prosecutor Sarah Munro QC said restaurant worker Bradley stabbed the Marine without warning in a "jealous rage".

Bradley, of Plymouth, Devon, pleaded not guilty at Exeter Crown Court to murdering Mr Swallow in the early hours of November 30 last year, but guilty to manslaughter.

Miss Munro said Bradley told the police she had picked up the knife to harm herself, Mr Swallow tried to prevent her, and he was stabbed accidentally.

But the prosecutor told the jury that to plead guilty to manslaughter "she must accept what she did to James was no accident".

Bradley, who had a daughter then aged five, was Mr Swallow's girlfriend for just over a year until August last year and, said the prosecutor, he "treated her with respect and love".

Bradley described Mr Swallow, based at Bickleigh Barracks, near Plymouth, but originally from Rawdon, as a "really genuine person".

For his services in Iraq Marine Swallow, whose father Steven is a youth team physiotherapist at Bradford City, was awarded a campaign medal.

The relationship ended because Mr Swallow wanted to return to live in Leeds.

Within a relatively short time he found himself a new girlfriend in Leeds, called Vicky, said the prosecutor.

After that, Mr Swallow and Bradley from time to time met while out with friends.

On the night of the killing, Mr Swallow and Bradley were with friends when they came across each other in Plymouth.

Around 1.40am she and Mr Swallow took a taxi back to her flat, where he wanted to use the toilet.

Neighbour Shirley Smith later heard "raised voices" and Bradley crying for 20 minutes.

At 3.06am Mr Swallow called a taxi from the flat to take him back to barracks, said the prosecutor. Then Mrs Smith heard Bradley screaming and a "thud" - which was Mr Swallow "finally collapsing to his death as he struggled to get out of the house having been stabbed through the heart".

"He had been stabbed in the bedroom and collapsed on the floor of the front room."

At 3.08am an "hysterical" Bradley called the emergency services saying she had stabbed her ex-boyfriend.

The prosecutor said Bradley told the police that while in the flat Mr Swallow saw cut injuries that Bradley had inflicted on her thighs three days earlier.

He was concerned, and they had a cuddle in the bedroom and she said all was fine between them - "until by mistake he called her Vicky - the name of his new girlfriend," said Ms Munro.

Bradley claimed she told him to leave, and while he was calling a taxi she picked up the knife from a bedside table drawer. She said she intended to harm herself, and when Mr Swallow tried to prevent her she accidentally stabbed him.

The trial continues.