Pregnant mum alerts police after feeling threatened by woman with a knife

Saturday 16 September 2017

A 32-year-old woman with a history of mental illness-related offences who brandished a knife in front of a nine-month pregnant mother-to-be, her two young children and her husband in the street in the middle of the afternoon has been sent to prison for 12 months.

The Royal Court heard the family was walking along Midvale Road on Sunday 16 April when they spotted Paula Pereira Da Silva, whom they recognised, looking angry and drinking a bottle of beer.

She smashed the bottle on the road, and whilst the man was picking up the broken glass, the woman noticed Da Silva had a knife in her right hand.

Prosecuting Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood said because the mother felt in danger and was afraid for both her own safety and that of her family she immediately called the police.

Police later arrested Da Silva at Cheapside. When asked to surrender the knife she threw it down on the floor with such force that it broke the tip of the blade.

In a police interview the defendant gave a confused account of events. Although she denied being in the area, she later told a doctor, who was asked to assess her mental state, that she had been there, and did have a knife, but that it was for self-protection not to attack anyone.

Da Silva’s lawyer told the court she had a long history of mental illness and that her condition is made worse when she stops taking her medication. In mitigation he also stated that at no time did she intend to hurt anyone, nor did she make any verbal threats.

Passing sentence, Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq said he had little option but to jail Da Silva. He said this offence was the latest in a long line of similar offences and that the chances of her re-offending was very high. She’d also breeched a binding over order, and had not shown any signs of remorse or regret.