Leeds sex worker launched bloody scissors attack on ex when he told her to go to bed

Shantelle Dooley "flew into a fury" at the man armed with the blades, who only realised the extent of his injuries when felt the blood dripping down himself, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Robert Galley said Dooley, 35, had gone to the man's home on Chapel Lane in Headingley at around 9pm on November 6 last year. They had been in a relationship for around 12 years, it had ended around two years ago but Dooley would often visit his home. The relationship had been punctuated with police calls outs.

The man went to sleep at around 1am but Dooley stayed up, making noise by having the TV turned up and slamming doors. The fed-up man eventually confronted her at 5am and told her it was time for her to sleep and turned the lights off.

She screamed at him: "Do you expect me to sit in the dark?" She then lunged at him, swinging her arms around. He then realised she had the scissors and was bleeding from his arms and his shoulders.

Dooley, who appeared in court via video link from HMP New Hall where she was being held on remand, admitted section 20 GBH without intent. She has 14 previous convictions for 42 offences, including ABH and battery.

Her barrister, Anna Chambers said in mitigation that Dooley had been addicted to crack cocaine and heroin and had been a sex worker to feed her habit.

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She said of the attack: "She is extremely remorseful. It was impulsive and short-lived, there was no pre-planning." She said that Dooley also had an unstable personality disorder.

Judge Robin Mairs jailed her for 15 months and said: "It was a mentally-damaging relationship with numerous police call outs, some as you as the perpetrator, some as you as the victim. You flew into a fury and launched yourself at him, stabbing him several times. They were not the gravest, but they were unpleasant."