A DISTRAUGHT mother today labelled the justice system a "farce" after the teenage girl who stabbed her son to death walked free from court.

Sophie Holbrook, 17, formerly of Royds Street, Accrington, had admitted the manslaughter of her mother's boyfriend, Ken Embley, at her home on January 10.

The 34-year-old former Blackburn and Whalley man died from a single stab wound to the neck, inflicted with a kitchen knife after he invaded the "sanctuary" of her bedroom.

Preston Crown Court heard that Holbrook had been suffering from an "adjustment disorder" -- an abnormal and excessive reaction to stressful events -- at the time of the stabbing.

She was yesterday sentenced to a three-year community rehabilitation order, including supervision and surveillance, and a six-month curfew order.

But after the hearing Mr Embley's mother, Marion, 54, said: "It's as though Ken's life was worth nothing. The police have been brilliant, but when you get to the courts it becomes like a game. It's a farce."

Mrs Embley, who lived with her son in Charter Street, Accrington, said she was "absolutely disgusted" at the decision, taken at an earlier hearing, not to proceed with a murder charge.

Holbrook had pleaded not guilty to murder and was due to be tried, but in November the Crown Prosecution Service accepted a plea of guilty to manslaughter.

Sentencing Holbrook, the judge, Mr Justice Holland, said the disorder had "substantially impaired her responsibility in the act of killing."

Michael Shorrock QC, prosecuting, said the defendant saw her room as her "sanctuary" and had locked herself in it as a child to escape the violence her mum had suffered at the hands of her dad and subsequent boyfriends, one of whom had also physically abused her.

He said the victim and the defendant's mother, Susan Holbrook, had a volatile relationship and had been out drinking together on the day he died.

He said Mrs Holbrook was drunk and had fallen asleep on her daughter's bed when they returned to her Royds Street home.

He said Holbrook went downstairs and launched an unprovoked attack on Mr Embley before storming out of the house, the court was told.

The court heard that she returned half an hour later to find Mr Embley in her bedroom trying to get Mrs Holbrook downstairs to the sofa.

The defendant dragged him from the bed onto the floor. He got up and grabbed her, but she bit him to release herself.

Mr Shorrock said: "She was by now in a violent temper. She went to the kitchen where she took a knife from a drawer and went back upstairs where she inflicted the fatal blow."

Paramedics found Mr Embley collapsed on the sofa. He was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary where he was later pronounced dead.

Holbrook, who hasn't been to school since she was 13, was arrested at her boyfriend's home.

Nicholas Dean, defending, said the teenager only intended to threaten Mr Embley.

He said: "She didn't intend to harm him, she intended but to warn and frighten him. The blow was performed deliberately, but was intended to stop short of contact."

Mr Dean added: "Sophie presents to the world something of a hard face, but that is no more than a face. She is a very vulnerable young woman who does very much regret what she did."

Sentencing her Mr Justice Holland said she had responded well to a supervision and surveillance programme while remanded to the care of social services following the incident and that a community rehabilitation order would allow that to continue.

After the hearing Detective Inspector Neil Hunter said: "The sad part of the incident is that it creates numerous victims. We feel for Marion and her family in this situation.

"We also have Sophie Holbrook who armed herself with a knife and stabbed someone in a violent act and who now has to live with the consequences of her actions for the rest of her life."