A PLYMOUTH woman poured petrol over her sleeping ex-boyfriend and set him on fire leaving him with "life-threatening" injuries, a court heard.

David George Allen, aged 55, suffered 51 per cent burns to his stomach, back, groin and arms and was in intensive care for weeks.

Two months earlier, his former partner June Mather, with whom he shared a house in Saltash, stabbed him twice within six-and-a-half hours as he slept, the jury heard.

Yesterday at her trial Mather, aged 57, of Bayswater Road, off North Road West, pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder Mr Allen by setting him on fire on February 27, 2009.

She pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on the same date.

Mather pleaded not guilty to one count of assault causing actual bodily harm on New Year's Day 2009 by stabbing Mr Allen with a kitchen knife.

She pleaded guilty to a second count of assault causing actual bodily harm by stabbing on the same day.

The couple had been together for ten years before the relationship cooled and Mather was drunk during all three alleged attacks, the court heard.

William Sellick, prosecuting, said: "Mr Allen suffered extremely serious life-threatening injuries caused by having petrol poured over him when he was in bed and setting him alight.

"As you can imagine, these were horrific burns.

"He was on fire in the most excruciating pain.

"He saw the flames and got up and ran to the shower to put himself out. He could see a figure in the bedroom just standing there. He thought it was June Mather."

Mr Allen passed out in the bathroom of the property on Pilmere Drive and was taken to hospital after Mather called the emergency services telling the operator he set himself on fire.

Mr Sellick said in the early 1990s, Mr Allen, who comes from Liverpool, was working on a roof and fell 25ft through a sky-light. He suffered serious head injuries resulting in memory loss and slurred speech.

Referring to alleged New Year's Day knife attacks Mr Sellick said Mr Allen and Mather had been drinking before he went to bed at about 1am.

He said Mr Allen awoke at about 1.30am after Mather kicked open his bedroom door with a kitchen knife in her hand and said she was going to stab him.

Mr Sellick said: "She struck him in the upper right arm.

"He raised his arm to block the blow."

Mather rang for an ambulance telling the operator Mr Allen had self-harmed.

Paramedics arrived and took him to Derriford Hospital were he received two stitches to his wound.

By about 8am Mr Allen was back home and went to bed.

Mather entered his room for a second time with a kitchen knife.

Mr Sellick said Mr Allen tried to grab the blade to protect himself and he was left with cuts to his fingers.

This time Mr Allen called the emergency services and when police arrived they spoke to Mather who said he had tried to self-harm again.

Mr Sellick said: "The police assumed Mr Allen was drunk because his speech was slurred. In fact he wasn't and that was confirmed by the ambulance staff.

"Mr Allen was arrested to prevent a breach of the peace and handcuffed despite the injuries to his hand."

He went to hospital where he received ten stitches to the fingers of his left hand.

The trial, at Truro Crown Court, continues.