AN ‘armed bank robber’s partner’, labelled a grass after helping police, threatened a woman with a cricket bat in the street, a court was told.

Angry mother-of-three Jane Hamer, 33, wielded the weapon near children playing and shouted to her victim: “You're going to get done over.”

Hamer, who had the bat hidden down her pyjama bottoms, invited the woman to fight.

Burnley Crown Court heard how two police community support officers heard loud voices, saw the defendant carrying the bat, and were told by about 10 members of the public that they had been threatened.

The hearing was told how Hamer had been bullied by local residents connected to her then-boyfriend. She had suffered abuse and criminal damage and had sought help from the police.

Hamer, a former carer for elderly people, had not taken her prescribed medication when she lost her temper.

The defendant, who sobbed in the dock, walked free from court, after admitting having an offensive weapon and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

Hamer, of Dinely Street, Church, was given a 12-month community order with supervision.

David Macro, prosecuting, said Hamer went looking for the victim only 15 minutes after CID had left her house on July 12. She said the bat was for if the woman's partner started on her.

Mr Macro said just before the incident, the defendant helped police by providing information in relation to her boyfriend who was last week sentenced for an attempted robbery at a bank.

Mr Macro said: “Unrest had developed in the local area, the defendant had then been called a grass. On the day before this incident, a person kicked her front door in and made threats to her.”

Adrian Williams, for Hamer, said: “She took a cricket bat out with her, fearful of the woman’s partner. She never made any attempt to cross the street.”

Sentencing, Recorder John Jones, QC said: “It must be stressed that credit must always be given to those who assist the police. “You had assisted the police and had done so courageously, in consequence of which you were subjected to unwarranted and no doubt bitter abuse.”

Adam Howe was jailed for eight years last week for trying to hold up a branch of the HSBC on Blackburn Road, Accrington.

He had admitted attempted robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.