A WOMAN “smashed up” her own house and then went out into the street and slashed two tyres on her neighbour’s car with a knife, a court has heard.

Veralie Haines, 50, was upset at problems with her benefit payments and was suffering from “psychotic delusions” at the time of the incident in July, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Haines, of Kingfisher Avenue, Ipswich, admitted criminal damage and was given a conditional discharge for two years and ordered to pay �104 compensation to her neighbour for the damage to the tyres.

Sentencing her, Judge Roderick Newton said that after breaking up her own home Haines had turned her anger to her neighbour’s car and had slashed two tyres with a knife.

The police had been called and Haines had been compulsorily detained from July 9 until August 6 after she had been assessed following police concerns about her mental health.

Judge Newton said Haines had been diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder and if she had been taking her medication she probably wouldn’t have committed the offence.

He said he shared her neighbours’ concerns about a similar incident happening in the future and told her it was important for her to listen to her doctors and to take medication prescribed by her doctors.

Ian Persaud, for Haines, said his client had no previous convictions and said the offence was a “one off”.

He said Haines had a psychiatric history and had been upset at the time of the offence about problems with her benefit payments.

She had also suffered from “psychotic delusions” and rightly or wrongly believed her neighbours had been making comments about her.

He said Haines was now finding life less difficult and was on an “even keel”.