A PROVISIONAL trial date has been set for a Carlisle woman who has been charged with two counts of attempted murder.

Jacqueline Mounsey, 53, of Whernside, Carlisle, appeared before the city’s Crown Court via a video link from Low Newton Prison. During a 30-minute hearing in front of Judge Nicholas Barker.

The defendant is accused of attempting to murder a man and a child on June 10. She did not enter any pleas.

Following legal discussions about the case with prosecution barrister Verity Quaite and Mark Shepherd, who represented the defence, Judge Barker agreed a timetable for the case.

He provisionally set the trial date as being December 9, with an estimate that the case could continue for up to ten days.

The defendant was told she will return to court to enter pleas on August 9. Judge Barker said the prosecution must serve the evidence upon which they intend to rely by August 4.

In the meantime, the defendant will remain remanded in custody.      

An earlier hearing was told that the man and the child involved in the incident - identified by the police as a girl of primary school age - each suffered stab injuries to their neck.

Police at the time confirmed that the emergency services responded to reports of an incident at Whernside just after 8am on June 10.

The injured man was taken to The Cumberland Infirmary, where his condition was described at that time as stable. The girl was taken to Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle with what were said to be serious injuries.