A MASKED woman who burst into a couple's home armed with a knife and attacked them has been jailed for three years and seven months.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that 35-year-old Louise McGhee, from Cumnock, was caught because her victims, Steven and Sheila Donaldson, recognised her voice.

McGhee, who was with an unknown accomplice, was out in licence at the time and judge Lord Burns ordered her to serve the unexpired five months of that sentence before she begins her new sentence.

The court heard the accused swung her knife towards Mr Donaldson and said : “This is for what your man done to my husband.”

This was a reference to her partner, James Wallace, who had died of a drugs overdose six months earlier.

Mr Donaldson grabbed the blade of the knife held by McGhee and suffered cuts to his hand, which was bleeding profusely.

His wife grabbed the unknown man's wrist to stop him striking her husband and was pushed into the kitchen door frame.

McGhee, who has 74 previous convictions, mostly for dishonesty, admitted assaulting Mr Donaldson to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement and forcing entry to his home in Barshare Road, Cumnock, Ayrshire,on June 3 and assaulting him and his wife.

McGhee showed no emotion as she was led away.