An “emotionally fragile” woman who had a knife in public has had her sentencing hearing adjourned to allow up to date reports on her mental health to be obtained.

Before Ipswich Crown Court today was Helen Church, 46, of Woodside, Brampton, Beccles, who admitted possessing a knife in a public place.

Lynne Shirley for Church said her client had no previous convictions and had been in a distressed state at the time of the offence.

“She was very fragile and she remains so,” said Miss Shirley.

She added that it would be useful to obtain an update from Church’s mental health team about her engagement with them before she was sentenced.

Adjourning sentence until the week commencing March 5, Judge David Goodin told Church that knife crime was taken seriously by the courts.

However, he accepted she was in a state of “emotional agony” at the time of the offence and said the sentencing judge would want to ensure she could be assisted to avoid a repeat of the incident that had brought her before the court.