Fakenham woman Sharon Spencer handed suspended sentence after admitting stabbing man in chest

A 48-year-old Fakenham woman who admitted stabbing a man in the chest following an argument has avoided jail.

Sharon Spencer, of Farm Drive, appeared before Norwich Crown Court yesterday and was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm at an earlier court hearing.

She was also ordered to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and 250 hours of unpaid work.

It followed an incident on November 2, 2022, when Spencer stabbed a man in the chest at his home following an argument.

The victim fled the scene and headed to a nearby shop to get help at around 8.30pm, but Spencer followed him and tried to get into the shop several times.

Staff raised the alarm with emergency services and the victim was taken to hospital for treatment.

Spencer was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and taken to Aylsham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.

Officers later discovered a kitchen knife – connected to the assault – at the victim’s home. She was later charged with the offence.

During the investigation, officers relied on witness statements from staff working in the shop who helped the victim and used CCTV footage from the shop and surrounding area to corroborate the witness statements.

Additional medical reports detailed the extent of the victim’s injuries and treatments.

DC Steve Donovan, who led the investigation, said: “Spencer’s actions were incredibly dangerous and could have had fatal consequences.

“I hope this sentence reassures the public that we will thoroughly investigate, support victims and follow the evidence to present a compelling case before the court that tells the story of what happened.”

Help and advice from Norfolk Police about domestic abuse is available here.

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