Fleetwood woman stabbed her brother after he helped her with a problem with her pet fish

A mentally ill woman stabbed her brother in the shoulder and chest before harming herself during a subsequent police standoff.
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Ann Marie Bradwell, 42, of Southfleet Avenue, Fleetwood, admits causing Kevin Bradwell grievous bodily harm with a small blunt flick knife.

Jack Troup, prosecuting, said the defendant, known as Annie, had asked him to come round to help her with an issue with her fish.

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Afterwards they sat on the sofa watching television, before she got up and went into the kitchen for around 15 minutes.

Southfleet Avenue, Fleetwood, (Google)Southfleet Avenue, Fleetwood, (Google)
Southfleet Avenue, Fleetwood, (Google)

He added: " As he entered he asked Annie 'What are you doing in here?' to which she replied 'Never mind, get out.'

The court heard she grabbed his shoulders with both hands with an aggressive look on her face so he pushed her away.

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After being struck, Mr Bradwell said: 'I can't believe you've done that, I can't believe you've stabbed me.'

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The defendant tried to stab him again and he pushed her to the ground, saying: "What have you done that for?"

Mr Bradwell managed to get into the garden but was followed and struck again with the knife.

He managed to get to his mothers' where an ambulance was called.

Medics at Blackpool Victoria Hospital found him to have three wounds on the left of his chest, upper arm and left shoulder, which were stitched and glued.

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Officers attended her home and when she saw them through her kitchen window she shouted something and made a stabbing motion 10 times towards her own stomach, then ran upstairs.

Some of her friends arrived and reached her by phone, and officers were able to try to negotiate with her to come outside.

The defendant said she had self harmed with the knife and refused to let them in.

Concerns grew she had begun to harm herself again and officers decided to force entry.

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When officers detained her in an upstairs bedroom she had multiple wounds to her upper chest, upper right thigh and scratches to her lower abdomen, and she was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital.

The court heard Mr Bradwell did not wish to give a victim statement or apply for a restraining order because he did not wish to cause upset to their family dynamics.

Defending, Julie Taylor said she had served the equivalent of a 12 month sentence as she had been on remand for the last six months.

She added: "She has very little recollection about the events of the day in question, probably a combination of her mental stability at the time and the fact she had self medicated with alcohol when in company with her brother.

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"She has responded well in custody to the limited treatment there."

"Of course she is incredibly sorry for her actions that day.

"One can see from her behaviour after the event that she was clearly unell, and she was going through a very very difficult phase in her life...the loss of her other brother which at the time she was blaming this brother for."

Recorder Joanne Woodward imposed a two year community order with a six month mental health treatment requirement, and a rehabilitation activity requirement.

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She said: " I accept that you were, at that stage, likely to have been in crisis by reason of your mental health disorders, but the evidence is quite clear that is exacerbated by substance and alcohol misuse and therefore, although it provides an explanation it provides no excuse for your behaviour - behaviour I'm satisfied there is a risk of repetition of, unless you engage with the services offered to you and you restrict your substance misuse."

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