Woman 'killed brother while protecting boyfriend'

A woman murdered her brother in a knife attack as he fought with her boyfriend, a court heard today.

Jessica Young, 31, plunged the seven inch blade into the back of Dean Sinclair, 29, as he held her boyfriend Duncan Buddin in a headlock on the floor of the flat they all shared.

The prosecution allege that she lost control and used the knife unnecessarily on her brother.

Young denies murder and said she was protecting her boyfriend, who she thought was going to die during the violent struggle.

Nigel Lickley QC, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court there was then an argument between the men and Young told her brother to leave the flat they shared in Andover, Hants on July 15 last year.

Young told police she then she heard a crash from the kitchen and saw builder Mr Sinclair had Mr Buddin in a head lock in the lounge.

"(she said) his face was a funny colour, his eyes were watery and bulging, she thought her brother would kill him," Mr Lickley told the jury.

"She went into the kitchen and grabbed the first thing to hand, a knife from the block.

"She returned to the lounge and then shouted at her brother to let go.

"She then said this to the police, 'I thought if I give him a little poke he would let go'.

"She stabbed her brother once in the back and it went all the way in. She pulled the knife out but it had no effect on him so she stabbed him in the same place."

The blade went right into father-of-three Mr Sinclair's body splitting his aorta which caused "catastrophic" damage and he died quickly.

He also suffered two other wounds - one which went into his liver, the court heard.

Mr Buddin called police and witnesses and officers heard cafe worker Young screaming: "Someone help me, I have stabbed him.

Later she told police: "I didn't mean to kill him. I stabbed him three times in the right shoulder. I was trying to stop him. I didn't mean to kill him. My baby brother is dead. He's my brother, I love him. I was trying to get him off. I was trying to get him to stop."

She was also heard to say: "I'm a murderer."

Mr Lickley said that the mother of two daughters told police in interview she was protecting her boyfriend from the attack because she thought he would die but he told the jury of nine women and three men that she went too far.

"When in drink, the defendant lost control of herself and became angry with her brother who was fighting with her boyfriend.

"The defendant inflicted devastating wounds to her brother but the Crown do not accept it was necessary to use a knife at all.

"Even if force was used it cannot have been said to be reasonable in the circumstances.

"We allege she acted violently and without justification and she murdered her brother.

"It was not self-defence or the defence of another."

The case was adjourned until tomorrow.