A 49-YEAR-OLD woman who threatened a family group of dog walkers with a knife outside her Stroud home is willing to undergo treatment for her drink and psychological problems, a judge was told on Friday.

Rebecca Jones of Devereaux Crescent, Ebley, Stroud, has pleaded guilty to a charge of affray following the incident as several relatives walked past her home with a dog on March 11 this year.

She was due to be sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday but the judge, Recorder James Townsend, said he was concerned about her basis of plea, which did not accept the prosecution version of events.

He said he felt there should be a trial of issue so the court could hear from the witnesses and Jones herself to decide exactly what happened.

However, after an adjournment for her to talk to her solicitor Sabhia Pathan she said she was willing to accept the prosecution version of the incident. She said her client had been gardening with her husband and had the knife with her for that purpose.

Susan Cavender, prosecuting, said the case was that Jones climbed over a six foot fence from her garden and confronted the oncoming group, 'waving a knife around in an extremely threatening fashion.'

From the dock, Jones interrupted and told the court she had heard someone say 'She's got a knife' and only then did she realise she was holding it.

"I didn't realise I had the knife and I dropped it," she told the court. 'I turned to go back over the fence. I didn't climb over to attack anyone with dogs or anything."

Ms Pathan added "Her intention was just to remonstrate about the noise. Once she had got over the fence, using a ledge on her side, she realised she could not get back over again. She freely accepts that she jabbed towards the victims."

Mrs Cavender added "Once over the fence she accepts saying things which were extremely threatening and she lunged towards the victim and members of his family group. It was certainly perceived that she might stab the victim. What she was shouting made it clear she intended to do harm if she could.

"She had to be forcibly restrained."

Asking the court not to adjourn for a trial of issue Jones said it would be her word against the family - a man, his wife, his daughter and another man - and she realised she would not be believed.

After Jones accepted the prosecution version of events the judge decided he would still need to adjourn for a report confirming she is fully motivated to address her drink problem as part of a mental health package.

Ms Pathan said "The Mental Health Services have already reported that this lady is quite troubled. Her core issue is one of alcohol. She wants to have treatment. The existing report says she can have treatment, maybe more psychological than psychiatric, but only when she deals with her alcohol issues."

The judge remanded her in custody to await sentence on June 2.