Telford mother drove off with knife 'to kill' friend

But Rosa Tomovic, 41, was caught by police shortly after she left her car when a member of the public reported her for driving while drunk, Telford Magistrates Court was told.

Mr Mike Phillips, prosecuting, said police officers had driven to Great Western Drive in Horsehay, Telford, after a tip off and saw the defendant run from the scene and towards Bridge Road.

Officers caught up with Tomovic and arrested her, but while at the police station they received notice of a 999 call from the defendant's daughter who said that her mother had taken a knife and was going round to a friend's house threatening to kill her.

Acting on the information, officers retrieved the keys to the defendant's car from her home and found a seven-inch kitchen knife inside the abandoned vehicle.

Mr Phillips said Tomovic told the officers that the knife was hers and that she had put it into her handbag and then taken it out in the car.

She could not explain to officers why she had done this.

The court was told that the defendant had been talking about comments her friend had made on Facebook and said that she had been drinking heavily and was depressed.

But the mother-of-two later added that she would not hurt her friend.

Tomovic, of Stocking Park Road in Lightmoor, Telford, admitted possessing a knife in a public place when she appeared in court.

Tomovic was given an 18-month conditional discharge for the knife offence.

She was also ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a £15 victim surcharge.

For Tomovic, Mr Oliver Nicholas emphasised that the knife had never been taken out of the defendant's car and that Tomovic had been "mortified" by her behaviour once she had sobered up.

He said she could not explain why she had got into the car and gone to the address.

Mr Nicolas said the reason Tomovic had been drinking was because it was the anniversary of the suicide of her brother which had left her extremely upset.