A 56-year-old Suffolk woman swung a knife at a community support officer who went to her home to serve a community protection notice on her for repeated antisocial behaviour, a court has heard.

When Fiona Watts opened her front door she had immediately lunged at the officer with a large kitchen knife, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The officer pulled his hand away and the knife had cut into the paperwork he was holding, said Simon Connolly, prosecuting.

The officer had backed away and Watts had shouted abuse at him.

After the incident, which took place at 2pm, Watts had locked herself in her house and refused to open the door.

Police officers eventually forced their way into the house at 3.30pm and arrested her, said Mr Connolly.

A knife was recovered from just inside the front door and Watts told officers she had been terrified of the community support officer.

In a victim personal statement, the officer said he’d been “completely shocked” by the incident and at how close Watts had come to injuring him with the knife.

Watts, of Castle Road, Bury St Edmunds admitted an offence of affray which took place on March 21 this year.

In addition to being given a two year community order Watts was given a 30 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

She was also made the subject of a two year criminal behaviour order.

Sentencing Watts Judge David Pugh said that whether or not she intended to injure the officer she had just missed his hand.

He said she had served the equivalent of a four month prison sentence while she was remanded in custody from March 22 to May 30 when she was granted bail.

The court heard that Watts had a conviction for threatening behaviour in 2018 and two for failing to comply with a community protection order.

Andrew Oliver for Watts said the officer hadn’t been injured in the incident.

He said Watts had a successful career before she was forced to flee from Manchester to Suffolk because of an abusive relationship.

He said that previous community protection orders had been posted to her and she had been upset when the officer had come to her home on the occasion the court had heard about.