A WOMAN has been jailed after travelling to Reading with a steak knife intending to slit her ex-girlfriend’s throat.

Ashleigh Chesney, of Ofencroft Road, Slough, was jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article, threats to kill, and breaching a previous restraining order.

The 25-year-old was caught at Reading train station on February 26 this year with a steak knife up her sleeve after texting a helpline claiming she wanted to kill her ex-partner.

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Prosecutor Oliver Snodin told the court that messages to the helpline described how she would kill her ex-girlfriend and then herself.

The helpline contacted police who arrested Chesney at the station at about 2.30pm. Chesney, who appeared in court via video link, said she had ‘changed her mind’ and was on her way home when police arrested her.

Chesney pleaded guilty to the offences as well as breaching a previous restraining order which was enforced in December last year.

She was found to have sent Snapchat messages to her ex-girlfriend expressing suicidal thoughts on January 17 this year despite the order.

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Emergency services were called to the Queensmere Shopping Centre car park in Slough later that evening where she was making threats to jump from the top floor.

Defending Chesney, Justin Yang said that there had been messages from the ex-girlfriend to Chesney despite the restraining order as well as attempts to arrange a visit to the prison where she was on remand.

“It’s two young people being extremely silly,” he said. “There’s clearly been an emotional breakup and words have been thrown both ways.

“These are just emotionally charged words between two people who were in a relationship. Both parties are dramatic and over the top.

“Miss Chesney changed her number several times and the complainant made contact with her.”

Addressing the judge, Chesney said: “My mental health has suffered since my relationship ended. She had a habit of calling my mother and myself on a regular basis.

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“The calls were always verbally abusive and this effected my mental health. The calls were extremely disruptive and effected my efforts to recover from a broken relationship.

“When I left [the house] I had no intention of using the knife – I just wanted her to stop the nasty calls.”

Recorder John Bate-Williams sentenced her to 10 months imprisonment for the threats to kill and six months for possession of a bladed article.

A two-month concurrent sentence was given for the breach of the restraining order.