A WOMAN who pulled out a samurai sword during an argument with her partner walked free from court yesterday.

Amanda Cliffe was given a community order with six months of supervision after a judge heard she had never been in trouble before.

Cliffe, 31, and her partner, Dawn McLaine, were involved in a domestic disturbance at their home the day after Valentine’s Day.

Ms McLaine and her brother, who was also in the house, told police that Cliffe threatened them with the ornamental sword. Since the incident, the women have reconciled, and the witnesses have retracted the statements they had earlier given to police.

Teesside Crown Court heard that officers found Cliffe in Helmsley Moor Way, Darlington, after being called about the drama.

After taking her to the town’s police station, they discovered she had a dagger with a four-inch blade in the waistband of her jeans.

The sword was found on a bed at the house, and Cliffe claimed she pulled it from a bag when she feared she was going to be attacked.

Cliffe was moving back to her mother’s home following the row, and put the dagger in her trouser pocket, the court heard earlier.

When she was arrested, she realised she should not have had it in the street, and stuck it in her waistband until she was searched.

Cliffe, of Barden Moor Road, Darlington, admitted possessing a bladed article, while an affray charge was left to lie on file.

Paul Newcombe, mitigating, said prosecutors were prepared not to proceed with affray because the couple were now back together.

Judge George Moorhouse told Cliffe: “It was a silly thing to do. It could have resulted in serious injury to someone if it had been misused. I am satisfied from what I have read about you that we probably won’t see you again.’ At an earlier hearing, Mr Newcombe said: “She told the police that it was not the type of thing she usually carried about in public.”