A university student in Canada who nearly stabbed her boyfriend to death during a bizarre act of consensual "knife play" has been spared a jail sentence.
Catherine McCoubrey, 25, was given three years of probation after pleading guilty to assault for the February 2007 incident in central Winnipeg.
The 24-year-old victim received a puncture wound to his heart and was given little chance of survival when he was rushed to hospital. He has since made a full recovery and is fully supporting McCoubrey, court heard.
The couple had been drinking alcohol and were engaged in so-called "rough sex" when the boyfriend asked McCoubrey to carve a heart-shaped symbol onto his chest.
She agreed, but accidentally pushed the knife in too deep.
Defence lawyer John McAmmond said Tuesday the victim introduced his client to "body modification," and they had previously engaged in knife carving.
McCoubrey, a University of Winnipeg student, had known the man for years but only started dating him weeks earlier. She has no prior criminal record.
The woman was released on bail, with conditions to have no contact with her boyfriend. McCoubrey admitted Tuesday to breaching on one occasion by having contact with the man. Her guilty plea means they can legally resume their relationship without fear of arrest.
Although a person can consent to some degree of physical abuse, such as with piercing and tattooing, there is no allowance in law for agreeing to have bodily harm done to yourself.