A nightmare neighbour who threatened to cut a woman's head off with a chainsaw wept as she was spared jail.
Suzanne Kemp, 42, appeared via a video link from HMP New Hall at Sheffield Crown Court and sobbed as prosecutor Andrew Stranex outlined the case, Yorkshire Live reports.
Mr Stranex told the court Kemp, who donned a pink fluffy coat as she waited to find out her fate, threatened to kill her next-door neighbour in March this year.
Kemp, of Barnsley, was subject to a community discharge at the time of offending, due to committing criminal damage and battery against the same woman in 2021.
Mr Stranex told the court Kemp's actions arose out of an ongoing neighbour feud with the woman living next door.
Mr Stranex said: "[The complainant] said things were calm for a while but she noticed an increase in activity by the defendant towards her including shouting at her, crossing the road to confront her and invite her for a fight.
"She called her a 'scruffy c***' and a 'b****'. CCTV caught her deliberately putting rubbish against a shared fence to encourage rats.
"The defendant removed a section of the fence and the woman confirmed with the council that the fence responsibility was hers and she went to get those panels. The defendant told her children to kick balls at the fence hard."
A Facebook post published on Kemp's account in August last year read: "My fence my house still so keep your f****** noises out and a no who phoned them I have a receipt rest will be coming tomorrow panels that is."
Mr Stranex said that Kemp went to another's neighbour's address on March 18 this year and threatened him. He said the "problems continued and on 21st March she made a direct threat to kill the woman and CCTV recorded her saying she would cut her head off with a chainsaw."
Kemp was also heard on the CCTV saying: "It's going to be you in a f****** morgue."
During a call she made to a friend, Kemp said: "I'm going to take her f****** head off and I swear you better sort this out."
She also threatened to "smash" the woman's head "to pieces" and said: "I'm going to hurt her. I've got people that will put her in a f****** grave."
Kemp was arrested and interviewed on March 22 and made admissions to most of the conduct. She pleaded guilty to two counts of threats to kill and affray last month.
Katy Rafter, mitigating, told the court that the incidents were a "neighbour dispute that got out of hand." She added that Kemp has been remanded into custody since her arrest in March and has found the experience "extremely difficult."
She said: "Her bulimia has returned and her mental health has been fragile. She has a history of mental illness and has previously been under the care of a psychiatrist.
"On the commission of these offences she told me she was scared and just wants help. She is really sorry and describes her actions as a cry for help and is motivated to change. She is engaging with women's services.
"It is the real shock of custody that will no doubt ensure she never appears before the court again."
His Honour Judge Michael Slater told Kemp he would be deferring Kemp's sentence until November and said: "I accept that this essentially began as a neighbour dispute but developed into something more serious.
"You have served the equivalent of a relatively short sentence but the first sentence is often the most effective and it is as far as you're concerned.
"If you let me down and there is a repeat of this behaviour and you don't comply then you will be going to prison. Get your life back on track."
Kemp will be sentenced on November 18 this year.
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