A WOMAN who admitted killing her former lover in an Ipswich double knife attack has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.Norwich Crown Court heard yesterday how Rachel Allard, 27, hit Derek Henderson-Chittock with a kitchen stool and kicked him in the face before setting on him with a steak knife.

A WOMAN who admitted killing her former lover in an Ipswich double knife attack has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.

Norwich Crown Court heard yesterday how Rachel Allard, 27, hit Derek Henderson-Chittock with a kitchen stool and kicked him in the face before setting on him with a steak knife.

Trisha Lynch, prosecuting told the court how when Mr Henderson-Chittock said “kill me then,” Allard reached into a drawer for a larger knife and used it “to finish him off”.

The manslaughter took place on July 27 last year in a house in Salisbury Road which Allard rented with her then partner John McCullum.

Allard was initially charged with murder following the attack but admitted the manslaughter of Mr Henderson-Chittock on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

McCullum, 25, admitted assisting an offender after cleaning knives used in the attack and mopping up blood from the scene, while Allard continued the attack. Ms Lynch said he had made attempts to stop Allard but continued cleaning in case the cats walked the blood around the house.

He was sentenced to 16 months in prison but walked free from Norwich Crown Court yesterday having served half of the term.

Sentencing the couple yesterday Judge Peter Jacobs accepted Allard had faced “severe provocation” which had led to the attack and said it was clear she had suffered previous attacks at the hands of Mr Henderson-Chittock as well as other partners, which was why a charge of manslaughter rather than murder had been accepted.

The court heard that on the night of the attack 36-year-old Mr Henderson-Chittock had continually goaded both Allard and McCullum.

They had been to The Royal Oak pub and onto an off licence before returning to Salisbury Road.

A fight took place in the kitchen and Allard had been hit and pinched by Mr Henderson-Chittock. She then pushed him over but as he got up he slipped and hit his head on the fireplace. It was then the knife attack took place.

Allard called police following the attack and admitted what she had done.

Sentencing Allard, Judge Jacobs said: “You have been in a number of abusive relationships to the extent that it is argued that you almost seem to be in a strange way addicted to such relationships.

“The last one, with the deceased, was one which even seemed to take those abusive relationships to a new dimension.

“The problem is you and Mr Henderson-Chittock were, and I use the term with care, both alcoholics and arguments between you were fuelled by drink and resulted in violence.”