A retired nurse imprisoned for stabbing her daughter wept tears of joy upon discovering that appeal judges had quashed her jail sentence. 

Irene Forrester, 66, was given a 32 month custodial term in November 2019 for attacking her daughter Linda Ann during a confrontation at her home in Partick, Glasgow.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how the assault left Linda Ann, 38, with a collapsed lung and a broken rib. 

The court heard how Forrester, a victim of domestic abuse, told her daughter that she no longer loved her in the way she used to. She then stabbed Linda Ann a total of four times. 

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On Tuesday, at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh, judges Lord Turnbull and Lord Brodie decided that Forrester shouldn’t have gone to prison. 

They decided that in the circumstances of the case, the Sheriff who dealt with Forrester should have imposed a non custodial sentence. 

The appeal judges told Forrester, who was watching proceedings via video link from prison, that she would be released from prison but would be subject to a community payback order. 

This means Forrester will be supervised by the authorities for two years and will also have to do 200 hours of unpaid community work. 

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When Lord Turnbull asked the accused whether she was willing to comply with the terms of a CPO, Forrester replied: “Yes. Yes. Very much. I will do anything.”

She could then be seen wiping her eyes with a handkerchief.

During proceedings at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sheriff Alan MacKenzie heard the circumstances surrounding the offence. 

Forrester had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting Linda Ann to her severe injury and to danger of her life. 

Prosecutor Lorri Pidgeon told the court that the pair had been at Forrester’s home when she suddenly declared she no longer had the same love for her daughter. 

Linda Ann then went to bed and said she did not want to speak to her mum. 

But Forrester got a kitchen knife and attacked Linda Ann. 

Ms Pidgeon said: “She told her daughter she was going to put her out of her misery and stabbed her four times.”

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The court heard that Linda Ann managed to escape the flat into her car before calling an ambulance. 

Her mother dialled 999 stating: “I stabbed my daughter. I hope she is not dead. I’m very sorry.”

The court heard that Linda Ann forgave her mum and didn’t want to see her jailed. 

However, Sheriff MacKenzie said he had no other option but to send Forrester to prison. 

He said: “I consider given the gravity of the offence that no disposal is appropriate other than a custodial sentence.”

On Tuesday, defence advocate Niall McCluskey told the court that the sheriff hadn’t followed the law in sending his client to prison. 

Mr McCluskey said his client had been subjected to long term domestic abuse at the hands of her former husband. 

The advocate also said that his client had expressed remorse

He said that the sheriff hadn’t taken these factors into account. 

Mr McCluskey added: “The assault was a momentary lapse of reason. She snapped and lost control. 

“In my submission, the court could have dealt with the matter by way of a non custodial disposal.”

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In ordering Forrester to be subject to a community payback order, Lord Turnbull said the sheriff hadn’t paid enough attention to the factors highlighted by Mr McCluskey. 

He added: “We do not see that any mitigatory factors have been considered by the sheriff - the pro social attitudes which she has expressed in the criminal justice social work or her 42 year career as a nurse. 

“We propose to deal with this case by way of a community payback order.”