Emma Lawrence stormed round to the party in the front garden at Sharon Clegg's home in Beeston to ask her to turn the music down, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Lawrence, 37, returned 20 minutes later armed with a knife and launched herself at Ms Clegg, cutting her arm with the blade and biting her.

Lawrence had admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm but escaped an immediate jail sentence after Judge Ian Dobkin accepted Lawrence had been provoked.

Prosecutor, Carmel Pearson, said Ms Lawrence invited some of her neighbours to the party which carried on into the night on May 4 last year.

The court heard Lawrence, of Old Run View, Beeston, lived near Lawrence.
Just after midnight Lawrence went to Ms Clegg's home asking for the music to be turned down.

She returned in a state of undress shortly after and a row erupted.

Miss Pearson told the court: "Ms Clegg was later to tell police she had a knife swung towards her...she said it cut her right arm. There was a struggle and Ms Clegg's partner intervened and he was able to disarm Lawrence. The struggle continued until the two women were separated.

The court heard Ms Clegg suffered a bite mark to her arm, and grazes and cuts to both knees and knuckles.

Andrew Stranex, for Lawrence said she had problems but had since stopped drinking and taking diazepam.

Judge Ian Dobkin handed Lawrence a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He told her: " Anyone who goes into the street with a knife nowadays is looking at the possibility of custody, as you will know from the headlines in recent weeks."

He added: "I take the view in your case there was severe provocation."