John Stokes kisses his wife Elizabeth - previously jailed for repeatedly stabbing him, - after a restraining order on them seeing each other was lifted following her release on parole

An 84-year-old woman was today given a kiss on the cheek by the husband she was jailed for repeatedly stabbing after a court ruled they can see each other again.

Pensioner Elizabeth Stokes attacked husband John in 2014, stabbing him up to thirteen times at their home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and puncturing both his lungs.

She was later jailed for four and a half years, but returned to court today to fight a restraining order preventing her seeing her husband after she was released on parole.

A judge at Gloucester Crown Court agreed to lift the order, allowing the elderly couple to resume their relationship under the supervision of probation officers.

Mr Stokes told the judge he is fully recovered from his injuries and has forgiven his wife. He said he had been visiting her weekly in prison since September last year.

'We have been talking about the problems we had and I think we have made some very great strides,' he said. 'My wife has total trust in me now.'

He added: 'I honestly believe her when she says she is very remorseful about what happened. She realises she made a terrible mistake.

'We want to carry on with our marriage and our relationship as soon as possible and I honestly believe it will work and things will be better in the future.'

Mrs Stokes attacked her husband because she believed he was having an affair. The court heard they have now put the incident behind them and are happy again

Judge Jamie Tabor QC told him 'There may be no restraining order now but she is on licence from prison and if you wish to live together the probation service will steer you that way providing there are no rocks on your path.'

The judge asked Mrs Stokes how things were now going with her husband and she replied 'We are getting on very well. Better than we have done for a long, long time.'

'Do you think you now understand why you did what you did?' asked the judge..

'I do,' she said. 'I had been suffering from stress for a long, long time. Of course, I am sorry for what I did.'

Prosecutor Julian Kesner told the court that at the time of Mrs Stokes' trial there was a psychiatric report stating that she had a delusional belief that her husband was having an affair.

Probation officer Diane Oakley, who has worked with Mrs Stokes, told the court that she had undergone two victim awareness courses while in Eastwood Park prison.

The elderly couple will be monitored by probation officers for two years, the court heard

The judge said 'I shall lift the restraining order confident that the probation service will manage the next two years sensitively and carefully in order to ensure that the desire of both these two people that they live back at their home together can be effected provided it is safe to do so.'

Mrs Stokes was accused of the attempted murder of her husband in July 2014 but was cleared of that charge and found guilty of wounding him with intent to do greivous bodily harm.

The court heard that Mr Stokes, then 69, was on his way back to their bed from the toilet at about 4.15am when she stabbed him as many as 13 times with scissors.

It was only because he was able to make a neighbour hear by shouting through the bathroom window that the police and ambulance were alerted and he was rushed to hospital.