A violent Ipswich woman who tried to stab her partner with a knife has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Donna Harvey was seen on CCTV in Ipswich last month pulling out the knife from near her waistband and bringing it down in a “downward plunging” motion towards the victim, Ipswich Crown Court heard on Monday.

He managed to grab hold of the knife from her hand and was seen to drop it down a drain, said Godfried Duah, prosecuting.

In December last year Harvey was seen on CCTV in Upper Brook Street, Ipswich, having a row with the same man and punching him and putting her hands round his neck and squeezing on two occasions.

Police arrived and Harvey, who appeared to be drunk, claimed the victim had called her a prostitute.

In April this year Harvey and the same victim had been at a friend’s house and she was seen punching him multiple times and swinging a bag which struck him as he walked away.

Mr Duah said that the victim hadn't cooperated with the police investigation into the offences.

Harvey, 41, of Rope Walk, Ipswich, admitted threatening a person with a blade, affray, intentional strangulation and two offences of common assault.

She was given a 20-month prison sentence suspended for two years, a four-month alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirement and a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Harvey was also banned from contacting the victim for three years.

Lynne Shirley, for Harvey, said her client had been the victim of domestic abuse in the past and had a history locations of alcohol abuse.

She had detoxed while she had been in custody and did not want to go back to her old ways.

The court heard that Harvey had been in custody for a period of six weeks.