A WOMAN who was spared jail after being found with a bladed article in a public place has been given a second chance after breaching the terms of a suspended sentence order.

Nia Wyn Owen, of Tan y Bryn, Bangor, was supposed to be living in the Blaenau Ffestiniog area when she ceased to remain in contact with the probation officers managing her court order.

The 63-year-old also failed to comply with a curfew that required her to remain at a property in Blaenau between 7pm and 7am.

Owen had been sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, on Saturday, 12 March after brandishing the bladed instrument at her daughter’s home.

On being given a community order, she moved to Blaenau, and was due to move on to Corris, when she went missing and probation staff had been unable to contact her since the end of April.

A warrant for the 63-year-old’s arrest was issued and the woman appeared before Caernarfon Magistrates’ Court on Monday where she accepted that she was in breach of a court order.

As well as failing to comply with her curfew, Owen had missed appointments, failed to notify the probation service of a change of address and failed to keep in contact with her supervising officer.

Probation officer Mike Watling told magistrates that the “continuation of the suspended sentence order would seem to be futile.”

However, defence solicitor Deborah Davies told the court her client had been left “isolated” and “depressed” after moving to Blaenau and had suffered ill-health.

“Quite clearly she needs help,” she said. “She needs support and she needs intervention.

“I think she just can’t cope at the moment. She is incredibly tearful, incredibly down.

“Prison is the worst place for her.”

Agreeing to strengthen Owen’s community sentence by adding an additional four-month period of curfew, chair of the bench Peter Lunt Williams told the 63-year-old to comply with the order.

“You have to cooperate with the probation service,” he said. “If you don’t, you will go to prison.

“If you come back here again you will; there’s no doubt about that.”

Owen was also ordered to pay £85 court costs.