A WOMAN was Tasered after lunging at her ex-partner with a kitchen knife in an attack in Southampton.

Rebecca Mcdonough ignored police pleas for her to drop the weapon as an argument over sex and porn escalated on to Denzil Avenue.

The 32-year-old, who had previous convictions for wounding another ex with a fork and for battery, claimed she “was only joking” but was warned by Recorder Alastair Malcolm QC her actions could have “left someone dead”.

Southampton Crown Court heard that “dangerous” Mcdonough had been drinking with the victim at a friend’s house in the city.

Anthony Taylor, prosecuting, said the former couple’s friend had made admissions about the victim’s sexual past which Mcdonough had grown angry about as she was unaware of it.

Grabbing a knife from the kitchen, Mcdonough then “jokingly” chased the victim around the house before the incident spilled out on to the street, the court heard.

Mr Taylor two officers saw the defendant walking towards the victim with a knife and ordered to drop.

He added: “At this point she was around three to four metres away from her [the victim].

“But as the officers intervened she lunged at the victim with the knife out. She was then Tasered and arrested.”

The court heard that the victim refused to give a statement to police following the incident on March 26 and did not want to press charges against Mcdonough.In an interview, Mcdonough, who pleaded guilty to having a weapon in public, said “it was just a joke” and that she had no intention of harming the victim.

Jamie Gammon, mitigating, said Mcdonough “lost the plot” and had problems with binge drinking, although she claimed she was not an alcoholic.

He added that Mcdonough has a emotionally unstable personality disorder, which could be linked to her offending.

In sentencing Mcdonough, Mr Malcolm QC said: “When you’re in drink you’re a danger to people and in particular a danger to your partners.

“When you are yourself with a knife, whether you intend to or not, you can be dangerous. The fact is people do cause damaged and people get killed.“That’s why going out onto a street with a knife is a serious offence as people can die as a result of people like you.”

Mcdonough, of Ty-Coch, Rhymney, Wales, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

Included in the order was the requirement to complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 80 hours unpaid work.