A 53 year old supermarket worker has been handed a 14 year extended jail sentence after trying to murder her "bleating" ex-partner "to put him out of his misery".

Mum-of-two Gillian McKenzie was fed up with former boyfriend Jonathan Ingham's complaining about his miserable life.

She later told police she wanted to put him out of his misery, adding: “He should be ******* dead. He is better off dead!”

A jury at Canterbury Crown Court rejected her claim she hadn’t intended to kill him during the drunken attack at her home in Hunter Avenue, Ashford.

Now Judge James O’Mahony has ruled she poses a danger to the public after hearing how she had previously attacked a former husband and a police officer, who she had kicked between the legs.

McKenzie, who appeared by prison video link from Bronzefield, has been given an immediate 11 year jail term.

And the judge ruled that when she is finally released, she will have to serve a further three years on licence.

The trial heard how Mr Ingham, who was on blood-thinning medicine, had been listening to Radio 2 when McKenzie stabbed him with a seven-inch kitchen knife.

White-haired McKenzie later told police: “He had to die... he couldn’t live like that anymore. I tried to kill him and put him out of his misery!”

She said on the night of the incident she was "just fed up with his self-pity".

"I was really fed up having to hear his constant moaning about how hard his life was. I just couldn't do anything for him," she said.

“I tried to kill him to put him out of his misery,” - McKenzie, to her victim

Prosecutor Simon Taylor told the jury how the couple had been in a relationship for nine years which came to an end in 2016 although they had remained friends.

“She stabbed him, doing so intending to kill him and she said as much as she was stabbing him. It is only mere good fortune she didn’t succeed," he said.

Mr Taylor said that Mr Ingham would go to McKenzie’s home for a meal – “but it would appear she wanted this arrangement to come to an end”.

On March 23 Mr Ingham, who had been living in a car and on a Tenterden scrapyard, had arrived at the house at 8.30pm and McKenzie, formerly of Rolvenden, had already been drinking on her birthday.

The couple watched TV and drank some more wine before Mr Ingham went to take some painkillers for a foot ailment.

He told how she snatched them away before going into the kitchen and returning with a silver knife with a six to seven inch blade and stabbing him three times.

McKenzie told him: “You are going to have this. I am going to put you out of your misery. I’m going to kill you!”

She later revealed: “I told him not to come over or we would end up arguing. I just wanted him to stay away and leave me alone. He’s better off dead.

“I tried to kill him to put him out of his misery.”

The court heard how ten days before this attack, McKenzie’s mood changed after drinking heavily.

She produced a knife telling her victim: “Do it... we can go together!” before he disarmed her.

The following day she had no memory of the attack, the court heard.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Scott Ennals said: “Gillian McKenzie and her victim clearly had their issues with one another and we may never know what went on in the moments leading up to this incident.

“What is clear is that she intended to stab him and that she admitted to officers who attended the scene that she wanted to put him out of his misery."

He continued: “She therefore clearly posed a significant danger to him and potentially other members of the public, meaning prison is the best place for her at this time.

“Most people in relationships have problems and disagreements from time to time but violence is never the answer.

"Kent Police offers a range of support to victims of domestic abuse, or you can visit www.domesticabuseservices.org.uk to speak to someone other than a police officer.”