A WOMAN has dodged jail after being found with a weapons haul which included a hammer and knives.

Brenda Gubb also assaulted a special constable after being arrested for sending threatening text messages to a woman over a number of days.

When she was arrested in Swanage Road, in Southend, the 40-year-old was found in in possession of the weapons haul.

This included three Stanley knives, a letter opener, a hammer and a screwdriver which she did not have a reasonable excuse to have in her possession.

During the arrest, on February 9, Gubb also assaulted one of the special constables.

She was taken into custody and charged with a string of offences.

Gubb the appeared at Southend Magistrates Court on February 11, where she admitted all the charges.

This included one count of assaulting an emergency worker, one count of possession of an offensive weapon, one count of possession of a bladed object and one count of sending threatening messages.

She appeared at the same court on March 4, where magistrates handed her 18 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months.

They also ordered her to carry out rehabilitation activity requirements for 50 days and complete 50 hours of unpaid work.

The magistrates issued a 12-month restraining order which prohibits her from contacting the victim of the threatening messages and also bans her from entering Swanage Road or Wimborne Road in Southend for a year.

Gubb, of Heygate Avenue, in Southend, must pay £50 compensation to both the special constable and the victim of the text messages.

No order was made for costs of victim surcharges.

A forfeiture and destruction order was made for the weapons.