Domestic abuse charity worker who stabbed her ex-boyfriend is jailed

A communications officer who was hired by a charity to highlight the plight of domestic abuse victims has been jailed - after she stabbed her boyfriend three times and knocked a door off its hinges.

Jayne Rudd, 32, stabbed Sam Leopold in a temper tantrum only three weeks after he had a restraining order put against her.

During the attack, Rudd used a kitchen knife to punch holes in the panel of a door as Mr Leopold battled to keep it shut before she reached through a broken section and slashed his wrist.

The victim managed to flee to a neighbouring property and alert police who later found Rudd asleep on the sofa in a drunken stupor.

This comes after a campaign of violence which included her punching him in the back before striking him in the face at a pub.

In a separate incident, Rudd also turned up to one of Mr Leopold's female friends and tried to strangle her.

In a statement, Mr Leopold who lives in Altrincham, Cheshire described his ex-girlfriend as 'dangerous to be round' and said he doesn't want to see her 'ever again'.

Judge Alan Conrad KC jailed Rudd, of Bowdown, Manchester, for three years and imposed a new restraining order banning her from contacting Mr Leopold for life.

Jen Coleman, prosecuting, told how Mr Leopold had been staying at a friend's house on January 8 this year when Rudd turned up at 6am and let herself in through an unlocked door.

The court heard she shouted his name which prompted him to get up and dash to the living room door and throwing his back against it to stop her getting in.

Ms Coleman said: 'She then began to punch the door numerous times until the bottom of the door broke off its hinges. She then ducked under the broken door and slashed at Mr Leopold three times and he suffered injuries to his wrist.'

He managed to flee to a neighbour's house and called 999.

Rudd was later found asleep on the sofa by police who then arrested her.

She gave a prepared statement denying the offences saying the victim had broken the door.

In a statement Mr Leopold who lives in Altrincham, Cheshire said: 'I became used to being assaulted by her which I knew wasn't right but I was aware she had mental health issues.

'She is dangerous to be around and this latest incident is clear evidence of that. It doesn't matter if she has a non-molestation order or a restraining order to protect me. She will always find a way back to me and that I me feel unsafe.'

Following the attack, which left him with injuries to his arm, he said he is 'constantly on edge for when she is eventually released. I am constantly looking over my shoulder'.

He added the incident has prevented the arborist from working as he uses a chainsaw as for of his job.

He added: 'I do not wish to see Miss Rudd ever again but I will never know if this is the last time she will contact me.'

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Defending, Brendan O'Leary, said his Rudd had mental issues dating back to a childhood trauma and said at the time of this incident she was 'clearly a very unwell woman and this was a chaotic, toxic relationship'.

'She presents as a gentle, intelligent, thoughtful woman,' said Mr O'Leary

He added: 'But there is evidence of mental health difficulties going back to her early teenage years. There were suicide attempts from the age of 14 onwards and she has a borderline personality disorder.'

In June last year, before the latest attack, the court was told Rudd was given 34 weeks in jail suspended for 18 months after she became verbally aggressive towards Mr Leopold in a local pub and then punched him in the back before striking him in the face.

He hid from her but Rudd subsequently hounded him with 300 texts apologising for her volatile behaviour before attending his parent's home where he was asleep and hit him in the face with her handbag.

In a separate incident, she turned at the home of one of Mr Leopold's female friends and tried to strangle her.

In September 2022, she appeared before a court after she mauled one trainee policeman on the hand and lashed out at a policewoman as four officers detained her for refusing to leave a property.

Inquiries revealed Rudd, a university Masters graduate who attended the £15,558 a year Withington Girls School in Manchester before working for the Olive Pathway domestic violence charity, had been given a suspended prison sentence jail last year over a previous attack on Mr Leopold.

A psychiatrist who examined her concluded that she had an 'emotionally unstable personality disorder' with characteristics to 'act impulsively without consideration of the consequences'.

Her moods were described as 'unpredictable and capricious' adding that she has a 'tendency to self-destruct'.

At Manchester Crown Court, Rudd showed no emotion as Judge Alan Conrad KC rejected pleas for her to be spared jail for a third time.

The judge told her: 'You are a highly intelligent woman but with a very troubled history. These offences represent a terrifying incident involving a dangerous weapon where you went to an address when Sam Leopold was present and smashed a door until it broke went underneath it and slashed him with a knife.'

The Judge added that Rudd's actions had a 'serious psychological effects' on her victim.

He added: 'Only immediate custody is the appropriate sentence here.'

Rudd who appeared in court from video link from Styal women's jail pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and breaching a restraining order. Other charges against her of having a bladed article and criminal damage were allowed to lie on file.