A sex worker has been jailed for stabbing a man in his chest with a ten-inch breadknife for “forcing her to work as a prostitute”.

Gillian Finnegan, 41, was socialising with Adrian Binns when he encouraged her to go to work to raise money to buy more drugs. Dundee Sheriff Court was told Finnegan “took umbrage” and pulled a bread knife from the kitchen to stab Mr Binns, 58, twice to the danger.

The court was told she was charged with attempted murder after doctors ruled her victim had sustained injuries which would have killed him without emergency surgery, Daily Record reported. Sheriff Alistair Carmichael said: “There is a long and troubled background behind this crime.

“The assault was nasty and did endanger the life of the complainer. However, it is clear there was provocation here and I will take this into account. Without provocation the sentence would have been considerably more.”

Finnegan, from Dundee, admitted assaulting Mr Binns at her home in October 2023, and was jailed for six months. Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson told the court: “The accused and the complainer were associates. They were catching up and having a bite to eat. The accused got to her feet and grabbed a knife.

“She lunged towards him and stabbed him on the right hand. She stabbed him a second time to the left chest area. She dropped the knife and sat down. She apologised and stated she had a psychotic episode. The complainer was bleeding significantly. He had a two-inch puncture wound to his torso.”

When police met the victim he told them: “I was there eating toast. She stabbed me with a ten-inch bread knife. I do not blame her.”

Ms Wilkinson said: “She was charged with attempted murder. Medical opinion was that a great deal of force was used during the attack. She had stabbed through the chest wall and into the abdomen. Doctors stated the injury was life-threatening and required intervention.”

Solicitor Jim Laverty, defending, said: “It is the exploitation which is the background to this particular incident. There was a significant degree of exploitation in their relationship. She was the one who earned money for the purposes of taking drugs. The drugs had been used and there were none left.

“Further drugs had to be purchased and she was requested to source money in the usual way. She had taken umbrage to that. She was refusing to leave the house to source money. An argument developed. He grabbed at her and she picked up the knife. Ms Finnegan has been subject to exploitation by others. That was the situation she was in which led and significantly contributed to her involvement in the offence.”

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