A WOMAN terrified her neighbours by waving a potato peeler outside their home, a court was told.

Judge Niclas Parry said it was an “utterly bizarre” incident, but admitted he was amazed to find Kathleen Hughes, 57, in front of him at Mold Crown Court to be sentenced for possession of a bladed article.

He told the frail defendant, who needed a stick to walk into the dock, that she should perhaps “bake potatoes from now on.”

Hughes raised alarm when she banged on the door of her next-door neighbours' property at Parc Cemlyn in Prestatyn while holding the kitchen implement.

Prosecutor Simon Mintz said she was threatening towards Rebekah Mottram and Christopher Shaw and shouted “I want to get my hands on the little *****”, which was a reference to their nephew.

When she was challenged, she threw the weapon into her porch and asked “Is that better now?”.

In the early hours of the same morning Hughes was said to have banged on the partition wall between the neighbouring properties shouting “Where is my fire stick”.

She carried on disturbing the peace until 5.30am. And later at midday on the same day her neighbours received a call telling them Hughes was outside their property banging on the front door.

After the final incident Hughes retreated into her own home and they called the police.

The couple claimed there had been no issues previously with Hughes, but when the defendant was arrested the next day she claimed she did have “issues” with her neighbours. She said she had taken the bladed article with her in case they had let their dog out “to attack her”.

But Mr Mintz told the court: “There was no risk of serious disorder.”

Hughes, now of Mersey Court, Mersey Road, Crosby, Liverpool pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article on June 6 this year.

Defence barrister Matthew Curtis said: “This was out of character and it won’t be repeated.”

Judge Parry said: “I can’t believe this is in the crown court, but there it is.”

And sentencing Hughes to a 12-month community sentence which requires her to undertake 20 rehabilitation activity days, the judge said: “You are clearly a woman who has acted entirely out of character.

“Your behaviour was utterly bizarre and you have apologised. Luckily there are people who will help you.”