A NAÏVE woman who tucked a kitchen knife into her waistband in order to protect herself has been jailed.

Hannah Sandover was handed the blade by her then boyfriend after telling him she planned to go and see her ex.

Later that evening, police were flagged down in Trowbridge by 20-year-old Sandover and her ex-partner. Officers were told a man further down the road was in possession of a knife. That man was Mark Parker, Sandover’s then boyfriend.

Parker was arrested at his home. During the course of that arrest he informed on his girlfriend, telling police that Sandover had a blade tucked into the waistband of her trousers.

Interviewed at the police station, Sandover said she had been given a knife for “safety purposes”.

Appearing before Swindon Magistrates’ Court, Sandover, of Heather Shaw, Trowbridge, pleaded guilty possession of a bladed article. She admitted that put her in breach of an earlier suspended jail sentence imposed for wasting police time.

Defending, Mark Glendenning said: “Miss Sandover fully accepts she had that blade, given to her by another. Stupidly she went along with that.”

He described Sandover as naïve in her outlook on life. She had taken the kitchen knife out onto the streets simply because it was given to her.

She was sentenced to 12 weeks for possession of the bladed article and a further eight weeks on the suspended sentence – a total of 20 weeks imprisonment.

Alison Auvray, chairman of the bench, said: “You have appeared before us today charged with possession of a bladed article, which is an offence the courts take very seriously.

“We’ve considered the circumstances and we’ve heard you took it for safety reasons.

“This is a concern to the bench. If you carry a knife for safety reasons that implies you are taking it for a reason and you will use it.”