A PREGNANT mother-of-four had CS gas and a lock knife because she was scared of her estranged husband, a court heard.

June Clarke, a hairdresser, admitted charges of possessing the cannister, knife, and amphetamines.

The 39-year-old was fined £100 for possessing the cannister, and given a 12-month conditional discharge for the other two offences.

The court heard that police officers acting on a tip-off visited Clarke's home, in Victoria Street, Church, with a search warrant.

They found a small white bag containing white powder in the lounge and another four bags in her purse in a back bedroom, valued at £20. In the same room officers found £930 in cash.

A search of the kitchen revealed traces of white powder on a set of electronic scales. The CS gas cannister was in the kitchen and a red and silver lock knife was in her car.

Elizabeth Reed, prosecuting, said Clarke, who is expecting a child in November, told police the amphetamines were for her own use.

She had a previous conviction for wounding, dating back to 1983, for which she received a suspended prison sentence, the court was told. She also had a conviction for driving with excess alcohol in her blood and driving with no insurance in March 1999, for which she was fined and disqualified from driving for three years, Mrs Reed said.

Emma Morrissey, defending, said police had accepted her client's money was earnings from moonlighting as a hairdresser.

"She is now registered with a drug counsellor and receiving treatment."

The police had accepted her account that she had weighed the drugs to check that the correct amount was sold to her, she said.

"She is a lady who now lives on her own with four children. She has been married to a man who served time for manslaughter and it was a very abusive relationship. She had these items for her own protection and her children's."

She was fined £100 and ordered to pay £75 costs, with the items to be destroyed.