A WOMAN chased her brother down the street brandishing two kitchen knives after he taunted her about being bulimic, a court has heard.Police arrived in the street outside the family home at Lowestoft to see 21-year-old Emma Axelson holding a knife in each hand and threatening to stab her brother, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

A WOMAN chased her brother down the street brandishing two kitchen knives after he taunted her about being bulimic, a court has heard.

Police arrived in the street outside the family home at Lowestoft to see 21-year-old Emma Axelson holding a knife in each hand and threatening to stab her brother, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Ros Jones, prosecuting, said Axelson was shouting and screaming hysterically and threw one of the knives down before running towards a police officer still holding the other.

She ignored his request to drop the other knife, and he was so concerned that he used a spray to stop her.

Axelson, of London Road South, admitted affray and two offences of having a bladed article on March 6.

Judge Peter De Mille told Axelson the public was rightly concerned about people who wielded knives in public places, and her behaviour crossed the custody threshold; however, in the circumstances of the case he felt able to suspend the six-month prison sentence for 18 months.

He also made Axelson the subject of an 18-month supervision order and said she should co-operate with the community mental health team.

Jamie Sawyer, for Axelson, described her as vulnerable and said she suffered from bulimia. On the night in question she had been provoked by her brother, who had taunted her about her weight. 'He knew about her problems with bulimia and knew which buttons to push to get her to spark,' said Mr Sawyer.

He said Axelson picked up two kitchen knives and chased her brother, intending to frighten him and to stop him provoking her. She was remorseful and had not intended to intimidate the police officer.