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A woman who force-fed her partner chlorine, bit his scrotum and stabbed him with shattered glass has escaped prison.

Troubled Elizabeth Tomkins of St Briavels, Gloucester, was handed two-year sentence suspended despite the judge hearing of the ten year period of abuse .

The 51-year-old jabbed a broken glass into her Peter Stapleton's neck as he was forced to barricade himself into his room - but she walked free from court.

The judge at Gloucester Crown Court said he felt both she and her boyfriend shared the blame for their 'toxic' relationship.

At an earlier hearing the court was told that over the last decade Tomkins had poured chlorine down partner's throat, hit him with an iron and sunk her teeth into his genitals.

She had spent the last four months in custody on remand - a factor which the judge said he took into account in deciding to suspend her sentence rather than pass an immediate custodial term.

Prosecutor Janine Wood told the judge yesterday that Mr Stapleton has now moved out of Ms Tomkins' home.

Matthew Harbinson defending, pointed out that the attack was not premeditated and added: "While Tomkins has been in custody she has worried over the ongoing situation of her former partner still living in her home and the debt that she might have accrued.

"She has been in prison for some months now and she feels that she would benefit from a sentence within the community.

"She is not a danger to society. She would not be in court today had she not been drinking all day with her partner. She is a binge drinker and not somebody who is alcohol dependant. Having been in prison she is now sober and wants to get on with her life."

Judge Lawrie said to Tomkins: "You've pleaded guilty to a Section 20 grievous bodily harm charge in which you caused your victim considerable harm.

"Your heavy drinking meant that you have little recollection of what actually happened. I'm judging your actions as part of a toxic relationship for which Mr Stapleton has suffered.

"As you've already spent four months in prison, I am prepared to suspend a two-year prison sentence as I feel you are capable of rehabilitation."

The judge ordered Tomkins to undertake 20 rehabilitation activity days to focus on her alcohol problem. He also ordered her to attend monthly judicial reviews.

He placed a restraining order on Tomkins and ordered her to pay a victim surcharge of £149.

"Mr Stapleton has suffered a very bad injury," he said. "If the glass was broken before it was used in the attack then the situation is bad, but equally if the glass broke on impact it must have been delivered with some force."

Tomkins had pleaded guilty at the earlier hearing to unlawfully wounding Mr Stapleton with the glass on May 8 this year.

The prosecutor said the attack was the 'latest episode of domestic violence' that Mr Stapleton had suffered from Tomkins over a 10-year period.

"Tomkins and Mr Stapleton had been drinking at their home on May 8th and had drunk more than two bottles of wine each by mid afternoon," said Mrs Wood.

"Without warning Tomkins attacked Mr Stapleton on the right side of his face with a broken wine glass that resulted in a very nasty wound to his neck.

