Jilted girlfriend jailed for knifing rival

A jilted girlfriend launched a frenzied knife attack on a love rival then told her ex: "She ain't that pretty any more", a court heard today.

Heather Westlake was jailed for five years after she admitted stabbing Vicky Wells in the back and slashing her face as she lay in bed.

Westlake, 24, was heartbroken that her long-term boyfriend Lloyd Welling was now seeing her former school friend Miss Wells, the Old Bailey heard.

The victim was lucky to survive after she was left with 22 separate knife wounds and both her lungs punctured, leaving her struggling to breathe.

Westlake and two female friends who joined her in the attack fled with Miss Wells's pink mobile phone, leaving her unable to call for help.

Judge Jeremy Roberts told her: "I know that you know just what a dreadful thing this was you did to another young woman.

"It was a joint attack between the three of you on a defenceless victim who was lying in bed. You are very lucky that you are not here on a murder charge."

The court heard that after the attack, Westlake bumped into Mr Welling and told him: "Go and look at your girl. She ain't that pretty any more. We've just f***** her up."

Westlake had been drinking brandy and a bottle of cherry Lambrini before she attacked Miss Wells, screaming "Why are you f****** my bloke?".

Annabel Maxwell-Scott, defending, said she was "feeling somewhat hurt by the fact that one of her school friends was having a relationship with her ex-boyfriend".

Westlake, of Charlton, south-east London, who has a six-year-old daughter, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent at an earlier hearing.

Fellow attacker Tanya Phillipson, 19, has already been jailed for 18 months after she admitted actual bodily harm.

A 16-year-old girl who cannot be named was given a referral order after admitting the same charge.