A woman who threatened to "slit" a neighbour's throat after claiming he had poisoned her dog, has appeared before Truro magistrates.

Julie Maureen Hensman, 40, of 7 Orchard Close, Trehaverne, Truro appeared before Truro magistrates on Wednesday (January19) and pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive, insulting words and behaviour to cause harassment, alarm and distress against Benjamin Rendall.

Prosecutor Mr Chris Rendall told the court that Hensman lived directly above Mr Benjamin Rendall in a block of flats in Truro. On May 15 last year the victim was out in the communal gardens of the property when suddenly he turned round ran back into his property very quickly.

"This was because the defendant appeared at back of the property," he said. "She could see him banging on the window of the property pointing at him through the window, shouting at him and using her fists to punch the door. She was seen kicking it and she was screaming at him about him poisoning her dog. She was also making threats she would slit his throat if she came near him."

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Mr Rendall was on the phone to his sign language interpreter at the time, he said, and asked them to call 999.

In a personal victim statement read out to the court Mr Rendall said: "I was shaking and panicking. My heart was pounding because of Julie. She said she was going to kill me and my dog and was going to cut my throat. I believed her because she is dangerous and I can't sleep very well at night time because I am afraid. I am shaking and anxious when I go to sleep and I now suffer with panic attacks because of Julie. I suffer with epilepsy and the anxiety and stress is making that worse."

The court was told Hensman had 15 convictions for 41 offences with the last one back in 2014 for a series of thefts.

In mitigation Hensman's solicitor Mr Elliot Moore said she accepted that an approach had been made and the words used by her. He said they remain living as neighbours but therer had been other difficulties at the property. Two weeks after this incident Ms Hensman was arrested for a serious assault on Mr Rendall that she denied in interviews and there was no further action taken. In light of the history of dispute he applied for a financial penalty in the case.

Hensman was fined £120. Magistrates gave her full credit for her guilty plea and ordered her to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34.