A WOMAN who claimed she snapped and killed her partner after 20 years of his "nagging" has been jailed for seven years.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Linda McGhee, 53, was convicted of the culpable homicide of 48-year-old Ian Tannock at the flat they shared in Shore Road, Gourock, on March 7 last year, by stabbing him in the neck.

She was also found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

McGhee, who was originally charged with murder, claimed Ian had subjected her to 20 years of "mental torture" and she had come to the end of her tether during a row.

But, Ian's mum 75-year-old Anne Tannock, from Greenock, said: "She's a compulsive liar.

"She lied to the police and tried to pretend she was at her son's house when Ian was killed.

"I can't forgive her for killing my only son then trying to cover up what she did.

"He wasn't a nag. There were no defence injuries on him. In my opinion she did it while he was sleeping."

Jailing McGhee, judge Lord Kinclaven told her: "You stand convicted of a very serious offence. There is no alternative to a significant custodial sentence."

The court heard that McGhee, after striking the fatal blow, washed her bloodstained clothing and left, leaving the flat door unlocked in a bid to persuade police Ian had been killed by an intruder.

She then went to her son Graeme Brabson's home. He later went to the flat to retrieve the knife.

Hours later he phoned police from the flat, claiming he had just found the body.

At an earlier court appearance Brabson, 31, of Greenock, was given 240 hours' community service after he admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice.