A mum stabbed her husband in the chest after a trip to Costco.
Ching Lin knifed her partner and the father of her child when a blazing row erupted between the couple over housework. But the 40-year-old walked free from court over the attack, which she blamed in part on a Bonfire Night fireworks display which had been taking place at the time.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Tuesday, that the defendant and her victim Chiken Eng have been married since 2011 and have a nine-year-old son together. They moved to the UK from Hong Kong last year and lived together at an address in the Great Sankey area of Warrington, with Mr Eng describing them as a "loving family who got on well together".
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Chris Taylor, prosecuting, told the court that, at around 6.30pm on November 5 last year, the couple returned home from shopping at Costco in Manchester. They had been arguing as they had been "late going" to the wholesale store, with the dispute continuing back at the house.
This "started off at a low level", with Lin challenging Mr Eng over "housework and household duties". But the quarrel "escalated and got heated", at which point he went to an upstairs bedroom to defuse the situation and watched an ongoing fireworks display from the window.
His wife then entered shouting and "appearing angry, emotional and clearly upset" with tears in her eyes. Mr Eng noticed that Lin was holding a 10cm kitchen knife, and she then "suddenly and unexpectedly" slapped him in the face.
He slapped her back, at which point she raised the blade with her left hand and stabbed him once in the lower chest area. The complainant fell to ground, attempting to return to his feet but being unable to do so due to the pain.
Lin - of no fixed address - called for an ambulance, with Mr Eng having to undergo surgery due to severe internal bleeding after being rushed to hospital. He remained there as an inpatient for a week before moving into a hotel.
In a statement, he said that his wife - who is known to him as "Maggie" - had "acted out of character due to stress" resulting from their move abroad. Mr Eng previously worked as a manager for an international bank in his home country, and is now employed at a a regional distribution centre - but lost more than £3,000 in earnings while off sick.
Lin has no previous convictions. Donal Maguire, defending, said that the wound had been caused by her "pushing him away while holding the knife".
He added: "Can I deeply apologise on behalf of the defendant, publicly, to him? She expresses that she is deeply sorry for the consequences of her actions, both the injuries he sustained and the inconvenience he has clearly been put through.
"This was a stressful, anxious moment in the family home. In the background were fireworks, which it seems added to the stress of the incident.
"Her regret was immediate - she attempted to assist him as best as she could and expressed her sorrow there and then. Ultimately, her desire is to return in some form to the role she was fulfilling before this awful incident - being the mother to her child."
Lin admitted wounding and was handed a 12-month imprisonment suspended for a year. She was also told to complete a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
The mother, wearing a pink raincoat in the dock, wiped away tears with a tissue as she was spared jail. Sentencing, Judge Stuart Driver said: "A highly dangerous weapon featured, but it was a spontaneous and short-lived assault.
"You acted in the head of the moment due to the stress you had been under, and it was out of character. If I see you again, it is likely you will go straight to prison."
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