A BOLTON woman's stormy relationship with her young lover ended when she stabbed him in a drunken rage.

But Dawn Hilton, 37, walked free from Manchester Crown Court after Judge Robert Atherton studied medical and pre-sentence reports on her.

The judge was told, when Hilton recovered her composure, she tried to get help for 28-year-old Martin Watkinson.

Neighbours saw him near the couple's home in Jethro Street, Tonge Fold, Bolton, home. It was around 3am, one morning in July last year.

Mr Watkinson had been stabbed in the leg, thigh and back. He was treated in hospital for a collapsed lung and made a good recovery.

In court yesterday Hilton admitted unlawful wounding and was put on probation for two years. The Crown accepted her not guilty plea to attempted murder.

Judge Atherton told her: "Fortunately, this young man's injuries were not as serious as they might have been.

"He has taken some of the blame for this incident, but I should tell you I had in mind a sentence of 18 months' imprisonment.

"However, I think the public interest is better served by taking this course, bearing in mind your personal problems which led to you occasionally taking far too much alcohol."

Stuart Denny, defending, said Hilton had found her young partner to be possessive. This was the backdrop to a verbally stormy relationship.

It also played a large part in the deeply regretted incident when Mr Watkinson was injured in her home.

"She had been out alone and had had far too much to drink," said counsel.

"She had said she would be home early. In fact, she was very late and there was an enormous row.

"He wanted to know what she had been doing in her drunken state, became irate and was plainly suggesting she had been with someone else."

The row escalated into violence when Hilton, through drink, lost control and she was horrified when it became clear what she had done.

The couple had not resumed cohabitation, but had remained friendly. The victim had since said he did not want her to be jailed.