A TEENAGE girl who stabbed a rival has failed to win a reduction in her prison sentence -- despite judges hearing she is pregnant with twins.

Suzanne Wilson, of Wellington Street St Johns, Blackburn, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court in July this year to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

She was said to have inflicted serious injuries to her victim.

The 18-year-old was sentenced in September to two and a half years in a young offenders institution.

Her appeal lawyers argued the jail term was too long, and said Wilson had been provoked by her victim and had only acted out of fear.

Lord Justice Richards, sitting with Mr Justice McCombe, also heard Wilson is expecting twins in mid-March and is having a difficult pregnancy.

But Mr Justice McCombe said that although Wilson was remorseful about what happened and had helped the police, she had inflicted very serious wounds.

"It is impossible to criticise the sentencing judge's handling of this difficult sentence," said the judge.

"This was a case, whatever the provocation, where Wilson went well over the top with her aggression.

"She drew a knife, not only for intimidation but used it causing a very severe injury."

The court heard Wilson was in a children's playground in a park in Blackburn at around 11.30pm on April 1, 2005.

Her victim told her to "shut up" and then punched her a number of times, causing her nose to bleed.

Wilson claimed to have pulled out the knife in order to "scare" the 16-year-old.

She admitted that when that didn't work she stabbed her at least three times.

Mr Justice McCombe said the victim received between four and five wounds, and one of them, to the left side of her chest, caused some damage to her lung which required emergency treatment.