AN ALCOHOLIC mum who put a burning piece of paper through another woman's letter box went berserk in the dock when a judge jailed her for ten months.

Milena O'Connell, who was already on a community order, kicked out at the glass dock as she screamed and shouted when she was told she was going to prison.

The hysterical 24-year-old, who had already burst into tears, was asking why the woman who was with her at the time of the offence wasn't prosecuted.

As dock officers at Swindon Crown Court tried to control her violent outburst she ended up yelling: 'please, please, help me. Mum. Mum.'

O'Connell was facing sentence after admitting attempted arson, three counts of criminal damage and one of assaulting a police officer in the execution of her duty.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told how the offences took place in the early hours of Friday, June 12.

She said a pregnant women and a female friend were in a flat at Rivergreen House, Blunsdon St Andrew, at about 4am when they heard the defendant outside.

O'Connell was with another young woman called Emma and they were continually shouting 'why don't you come out' and knocking on the door.

They heard the defendant saying 'I'm going to kill her' in a slurred voice, and heard laughing before she told them to get out 'or I'm going to burn down your house'.

"At which point a piece of lit paper came through the letterbox of the flat. It stayed alight for sufficient time to set off the smoke alarm in the house," Miss Squire said.

"One can only imagine the fright of a piece of paper coming through the letterbox accompanied by the words 'We're going to burn down your house'."

When the police arrived they found she had scratched 'Milena was here' on the wall and when she was taken to the police station she smashed her head against the custody desk, damaging it.

As officers searched her she head-butted a female officer to the nose, causing a degree of pain.

By the time O'Connell, of Bache House, Frankel Avenue, was questioned she had sobered up and admitted what she had done.

Rob Ross, defending, said: "We have woman here who has an age old problem, she is an alcoholic.

"If she doesn't address her alcohol problem we won't have to worry too much as she won't be here to give us a problem, and she is aware of that."

He said the piece of paper she put through the door was a bus ticket and done to just annoy the occupant in a case of horseplay gone too far.

Jailing her Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "What I regard as the serious part of this offending was your overall behaviour towards her rather than your crude attempt at arson, which would never have caused serious damage.

"You intended to frighten her, and she was pregnant at the time. You threatened to burn her house down and you didn't hesitate to put a burning piece of paper through her letterbox.

"You were drunk at the time and you were angry and you wanted her to know it was you who was frightening her."

As he imposed the sentence she burst into tears then yelled 'What about Emma, why did she get away with it and I didn't'.