A 53 year old Tesco worker did try to murder her ex-lover when she plunged a knife into him three times on her birthday, a jury has decided.

Gillian McKenzie, who had denied the offence, told officers she was fed up with former boyfriend Jonathan Ingham "bleating" about his miserable life, and wanted to put him out of his misery.

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

After adjourning sentence for reports, Judge James O’Mahony told her: "Sorry for using Latin, but 'in vino veritas' - in wine people speak the truth. You knew what you were saying and you knew what you were doing."

Mr Ingham had been listening to Radio 2 when McKenzie stabbed him with a seven-inch kitchen knife, a jury heard.

She later told police: “He had to die. He couldn’t live like that any more. I tried to kill him and put him out of his misery!”

White-haired McKenzie has now been remanded in custody to await sentence, probably in October.

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.

He told the jury: “When she stabbed him she did 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."

Mr Taylor said Mr Ingham would go to McKenzie’s home for a meal, but added: "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 had already been drinking.

"You are going to have this. I am going to put you out of your misery. I'm going to kill you!" - McKenzie, to her victim

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 knife 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!”

McKenzie 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.”

After the hearing, 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. 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 visitwww.domesticabuseservices.org.uk to speak to someone other than a police officer."