A DRUNKEN woman threatened her new neighbour with two different knives and warned she would kill her.

Janet Ypey, 57, had initially got on well with Tresa O’Grady when she moved in nearby. They were both cat lovers and the two even shared meals together.

But, as St Albans crown court heard on Tuesday, they fell out in a row over money and Ypey confronted the other woman after a drinking session.

Prosecutor Wayne Cleaver said that at 7pm on the evening of August 20, Ypey returned home after having been drinking at a friend’s house.

He said: “As she got near her home she saw her neighbour standing in the garden taking in her washing. She said: ‘I want it out with you. Why can’t we have it out? I want to finish you.”

Ms O’Grady ignored her, which enraged Ypey, who went inside and returned holding a vegetable knife. Another neighbour arrived on the scene and took the knife from Ypey who went back inside again saying to the victim: “I will kill you.”

She re-emerged with a bread knife saying she was going to kill her, but was once again disarmed. The police were called and she was arrested.

Ypey told the police she was drunk and had “on-going issues” with her new neighbour who had lived at the property for just six weeks.

Ypey of Burnside, St Albans, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a knife and three of using threatening words or behaviour. She already had five convictions for six offences, including one for possessing a knife in October 2006, for which she received a community order.

Defence barrister Toby Long said Ypey, who cried during the court hearing, had lived at the address for 30 years and had initially been friendly with the victim. He said they had fallen out after Ms O’Grady had requested Ms Ypey ask a friend for a loan of £450.

He went on: “She is 57 years old. She had been drinking and this was a wretched and pathetic incident.When she drinks she drinks too much.”

Recorder Amanda Tipples QC passed a four week jail sentence suspended for 12 months with 12 months supervision.