A KNIFEWOMAN banged on her neighbours windows threatening to stab him, leaving his daughter terrified he was going to die, a court heard.

Katie Bedford, 24, took the 18-centimetre kitchen knife to the home of her neighbour Charles McDonagh, after he had fought with her brother Dean Bedford, York Crown Court was told.

A judge told her she had come close to prison, but he instead spared her jail.

Nick Adlington, prosecuting, said Bedford's actions had stemmed from a fight between her brother Dean Bedford and Charles McDonagh on August 29 last year.

The pair, like Katie Bedford, live in Maplehurst Avenue, between Haxby Road and Huntington Road in York, and clashed after Mr Bedford was alleged to have insulted Mr McDonagh's partner's son.

York Press: York Crown Court - zxc

Bedford was sentenced at York Crown Court

Mr Adlington said: "There was a confrontation between McDonagh and Dean Bedford. It was quite clear that McDonagh had the better of the incident."

Mr McDonagh was then taken back home by his partner, Amy Lomax, and that would have been the end of the matter, said Mr Adlington.

Katie Bedford, however, took a kitchen knife with an 18cm blade, and went across to Mr McDonagh's house.

Mr Adlington said: "She was hammering on the window and shouting threats that she was going to stab McDonagh.

"Amy Lomax was in the house with her three children.

"Her three-year-old was uttering words to the affect that her daddy was going to die."

Katie Bedford was arrested after police were called to the scene. At an earlier hearing, she admitted possessing the knife.

The court heard she had 14 previous convictions for 23 offences.

Holly Betke, defending, said: "Miss Bedford fully accepts the crown's case.

"She was never face to face with the defendant, it was a short-lived affair."

The court heard that Bedford is a carer for her mother and another brother and that she has not drunk alcohol since this incident.

Ms Betke said: "She is a young woman and has really been the lynchpin of her family."

She asked Judge Neil Davey QC to give Bedford "one last opportunity" instead of jail.

Judge Davey said the Government was getting increasingly tough on knife crime and prison sentences were to be expected.

"The only thing that bring me back is the fact that you pleaded guilty to it and have committed no further offences since," he said.

"For somebody like you, this represents real progress."

He said her threats had a serious impact on Mr McDonagh's family.

"Goodness knows how long it will take for that terrifying episode to be erased from the mind of that little girl," said Judge Davey.

Bedford was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to take part in a 20-day rehabilitation activity.

Judge Davey told her: "You have a chance now. Stay out of trouble and put this behind you."

Bedford received no separate penalty for breaching a 24-month conditional discharge she received in 2015.