A Murupara woman called 111 and said she was going to murder somebody, before stabbing a male relative with a butcher's knife.
The 22-year-old, who has permanent name suppression, was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court today to two years' prison after previously pleading guilty to wounding with intent to injure.
Judge Chris McGuire said he had "agonised" over sending her to jail, acknowledging events between the woman and the victim in earlier times had been the "genesis" of the stabbing.
Judge McGuire said about 11.40am on March 28 the woman called 111 from her Murupara home and told the operator she was going to murder somebody, he said. She asked 'can you arrest me now'. Police went to her home but were unable to find her.
The woman then went to the victim's house, taking a boning knife from the kitchen. She confronted the man about "incidents that had occurred between them" when she was younger.
The man saw the knife and ran towards the back fence to escape. As he climbed the fence, the woman stabbed him in the leg. He was flown by helicopter to Waikato Hospital where he underwent surgery and remained for 10 days.
The woman immediately handed herself in to Murupara police.
Crown prosecutor Ngaroma Tahana told the court it was an exceptional case, given the background.
"The significant impact that has had on the offender ought to be taken into account," she said, saying the Crown wouldn't oppose a non-custodial sentence.
Defence lawyer Harry Edward said the stabbing was the culmination of a series of events in the woman's life.
Judge McGuire said her psychologist's report was "one of the saddest documents [he had] read".
"It describes a long overdue need for you to receive appropriate pharmacological and psychological intervention," he told her.
However the woman had refused offers of treatment, he said.
The judge said she was a gifted sportswoman, had worked hard at school and had achieved success in her early working life.
"All the more's the pity that you are here today."
Judge McGuire said the woman's rehabilitative needs were paramount.
"I have agonised over this. I cannot in good conscious convert [jail] to home detention. I have no confidence you will access the help you need given you have already rejected assistance offered," he said.
"It saddens me that the bottom line today must be a sentence of imprisonment of two years."
He also imposed six months' post-release conditions that included counselling.