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Oxford Student Who Avoided Jail For Stabbing Boyfriend Loses Appeal Against Lighter Sentence

Oxford Student Who Avoided Jail For Stabbing Boyfriend Loses Appeal Against Lighter Sentence

Lavinia Woodward admitted a charge of unlawful wounding in September 2017

Mischa Pearlman

Mischa Pearlman

An Oxford University student who was spared jail after stabbing her boyfriend with a bread knife has lost an appeal against her suspended prison sentence.

In September last year, Lavinia Woodward received a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, after she admitted to stabbing the man during a row in December 2016.

She also punched him and hurled a laptop, glass and a jam jar at him at her university accommodation at Christ Church College. Her boyfriend at the time was a student at Cambridge University who had been visiting her.

She admitted a charge of unlawful wounding at Oxford Crown Court, but the judge presiding over the case suspended her sentence.

"It seems to me that if this was a one-off, a complete one-off, to prevent this extraordinarily able young lady from not following her long-held desire to enter the profession she wishes to, would be a sentence which would be too severe," said Judge Ian Pringle at the time.

PA

He continued: "What you did will never, I know, leave you but it was pretty awful, and normally it would attract a custodial sentence, whether it is immediate or suspended."

Today, Miss Woodward, who was challenging her suspended sentence, lost her appeal against it. Three judges were considering her sentence bid at the Court of Appeal in London.

Despite the leniency of Judge Pringle's sentence, Woodward was contesting in the hopes that a quashed conviction would allow her to become a doctor.

PA

During sentencing in September, Judge Pringle added: "Whilst you are a clearly highly intelligent individual, you had an immaturity about you which was not commensurate for someone of your age."

He also explained that she had "demonstrated over the last nine months that you are determined to rid yourself of your alcohol and drug addiction, and have undergone extensive treatment including counselling to address the many issues that you face."

At the time of the initial court case, Woodward voluntarily suspended her studies at Oxford. She moved back home and has since received treatment for addiction, but should she decide to return to her studies, the BBC reports she will face disciplinary procedures.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News