Woman threatened to kill neighbours

A DELUSIONAL Ipswich woman threatened to kill her neighbours after she believed they were trying to kill her cat.

Alicia Rafferty, of Norfolk Road, hurled abuse at neighbour Kevin Blomley and his wife on September 14 last year as her depression and mental health issues spiralled out of control.

The 51-year-old then banged on the Blomley's front door, smashing a pane in the process, before she assaulted an officer called to the scene to deal with the incident.

Appearing at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court, Rafferty pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and to two counts of assaulting a police officer.

The court heard how Mr Blomley had been in his back garden when the abuse started. Fearing for his family's safety, he called the police who managed to calm Rafferty down.

However, the defendant then became agitated again.

Stephen Colman, prosecuting, said: “She was in a rage and barely under control, shouting 'I'm going to kill you'.

“The victim says she was holding a large kitchen knife which she was stabbing into the fence.”

When the police arrived for the third time that day Rafferty was arrested and clenched her fist and punched the officer in the face.

Later, at the police station as Rafferty was led to a cell, she leapt forward and bit the same officer on the forearm.

Howard Catherall, mitigating, said Rafferty had suffered with depression for 15 years and had problems with alcohol.

He said: “She had mental behavioural disorder which heightened her suspicions against her neighbour.

“She is clearly a lady who needs some help.

“She just lost it.”

Mr Catherall said his client disputed she had held a knife at any point.

Chairman of the bench Graham Barnett adjourned the case while a pre-sentence report could be carried out and warned Rafferty he could not rule out custody.