A WOMAN stabbed her long-term partner with a fork near his eye after she had drunk a bottle of wine.

Lesley Roper, 49, caused the victim to lose his sight momentarily and he was left with ‘prong marks’ on his face, following the incident, Workington Magistrates' Court heard.

Prosecutor Pamela Fee said the victim had called 999 and reported that his partner had stabbed him to the face with a fork, close to his eye.

The North West Ambulance Service reported the incident to the police. When officers arrived on the scene, they saw the victim with swelling around the eye. He reported that his partner had stabbed him near to his right eye and he had lost sight.

Roper was not on the scene but was found near the address in Workington. She told police that she didn’t stab him in the eye and said it was ‘nowhere near’.

During police interview, she was ‘extremely apologetic’. She said they had been watching ‘The Voice’ on TV and she had briefly fallen asleep on the sofa.

She said the two children had not been accepted for a college course and she and the victim had briefly spoken about this.

Roper said she didn’t know what happened next but she remembered grabbing a fork and stabbing him towards the temple.

She said she then placed the fork into the victim’s lap and left the house to calm down. She had consumed a bottle of wine that evening.

Roper said she had no intention to cause the victim injury and they had been together for 29 years.

Ms Fee said a picture taken of the victim showed prong marks on his face. A weapon had been used, which made the offence more serious, the court was told.

Roper, of Douglas Road, Workington, pleaded guilty to assault by beating at an earlier hearing.

John Cooper, defending, said: “All the family were here on the last occasion, supporting her. [The victim] sits behind me.

“There are issues on both sides. They are both struggling with health concerns.

“She was very upset the first time I met her. She’s very upset again. She has been back home since the incident.”

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order with a three-month alcohol treatment programme and 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Roper was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.