A woman who murdered her partner in an “impulsive” stabbing during a drunken argument has been given close to the minimum non-parole jail period.

Annette Louise Ruth Hancock, 56, was sentenced to 19 years behind bars on Tuesday over the killing of Benjamin Harris at his Hobart unit in March 2022.

Hancock was the subject of a family violence order preventing her from entering the home of Harris, but was staying there with his permission.

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The pair had been drinking heavily on the day of the murder and got into an argument, with Harris telling Hancock he had slept with another woman.

Hancock grabbed a large knife on a window sill, kept there by Harris for protection, and stabbed him in the back after a number of misses.

She then hid the knife in a cupboard and initially told police Harris had arrived at the unit after being stabbed.

She made genuinely remorseful “full admissions” to investigators the next day.

Hancock didn’t intend to kill Harris but should have appreciated death was a likely result of her actions, Justice Helen Wood told the Supreme Court of Hobart on Tuesday.

“It was a response to hurtful comments ... (it was) an impulsive act with a large heavy knife that happened to be nearby,” Wood said.

The judge said there was an exchange of similar remarks between the pair, but Hancock’s response was disproportionate in the extreme.

Harris was “particularly vulnerable” because he lived with a brain injury. He was planning to move away and make a fresh start.

Wood sentenced Hancock to a 10-year non-parole period, close to the minimum for the charge.

Wood said prison would weigh more heavily on Hancock because of her mental health conditions, but also noted she had benefited in jail without access to alcohol.

Hancock was reconnecting with her children and family and was insightful about the need for medication as part of her rehabilitation.

“Her actions were immediately regretted … to cause the death of a partner carries its own substantial grief and loss,” Wood said.

The sentence has been backdated to 2022, when Hancock was taken into custody.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.

In an emergency, call 000.