AN 'angry and jealous' young mum who knifed and almost killed her boyfriend after he forgot to phone her every two hours from a party, has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Rhiann Burnie, 21, had smoked a cigarette and mopped up blood after she had stabbed Shane McMullen with a carving knife.

Mr McMullen, who loved his attacker, had been knifed in the shoulder, which severed a major artery and came close to losing his life. He lost so much blood in the horrific early hours violence paramedics had thought he was dead when they had arrived, Burnley Crown Court had heard.

The court was told how Burnie had gone out drinking after the victim 'dutifully' returned at 11.30pm. After arriving back home, she woke him up for a row and deliberately taunted him by saying she had cheated on him She punched Mr McMullen, broke his nose and gave him a black eye.

He didn't retaliate, but got dressed to go to his parents' house. The defendant then armed herself with the knife and and stabbed the victim.

After the attack, Burnie lied to the police, but did eventually come clean and tell the truth. She was to tell a jury the victim didn't deserve the assault as he was a 'good lad'.

Burnie, then living at Boundary Street, Burnley, where the stabbing took place, had earlier denied wounding the 23-year-old bricklayer with intent to do him grievous bodily harm and had been cleared by the jury.

The defendant, who has a two-year-old daughter, had admitted wounding. She had no previous convictions, but has a reprimand and a caution for battery.

The sentencing hearing yesterday was told how in his victim personal statement, Mr McMullen said he was now living with his parents, was unable to work and no longer socialised.

Keith Harrison, for Burnie, said she was 'truly remorseful'.

Passing sentence, Recorder Andrew Long said Burnie and Mr McMullen had had a volatile relationship, involving drunken rows.

The judge, who had seen photographs of the victim's blood loss, said: "I am satisfied you were well aware you had caused him serious injury. Rather than offer him help or call an ambulance, you lit and smoked a cigarette."

He continued: "Shane, it's clear, was close to death and only the skill of the medical team which operated on him saved his life."