A 20-year-old woman who had been using kitchen knives to cut herself because she was drunk and depressed has been cleared of jabbing them at police officers called to a Worcester flat.

Police used CS spray to disarm Samantha Stone, of Greenacres Road, Worcester, who was drunk and upset when she went to visit her sister on the night of January 15, prosecutor Alex Warren told Worcester Crown Court.

She went to the kitchen of the flat in Broad Street, Worcester, and took two black-handled knives with serrated edges, which she used to cut her forearm, drawing blood and causing scratches.

An ambulance was called at about 4.30am and police were alerted that a woman was acting hysterically and had knives.

Two officers were sworn at when they arrived and knives were waved in their direction, said Mr Warren.

Stone started throwing saucepans around the kitchen but she dropped the knives on the floor, she told the jury.

A police sergeant arrived as back-up and spoke to Stone.

He offered her a cigarette and when she opened the door to take it, he used CS spray in her face.

Stone denied affray and told the jury she had not waved the knives at police in a threatening manner.

She had only opened the door a fraction and did not have the knives in her hand when she was sprayed.

Paul Cook, defending, said Stone admitted she was drunk but she had not made any threats directly to the officers.

She had told them to leave her alone because she had only been harming herself and had no intention of harming anyone else.

She was normally a quiet and gentle girl who had no history of violent behaviour.