Playing loud music to the annoyance of her neighbour and drinking to excess led a Penryn woman to breach an ASBO three times in less than a month, her solicitor Neil Lewin told Truro magistrates.

Jennifer Stamp, aged 47, of West Street, Penryn, pleaded guilty to the breach of the order which was made on August 1 with a condition not to create excessive noise while inside her property.

Gail Hawkley, for the CPS, said there had been several breaches of the ASBO already.

On August 16 police were called to Stamp’s home after a neighbour complained of loud music, screaming and swearing coming from defendant’s home, so loud she could hear it through the walls between them.

Stamp was said to be playing the sixties’ song If I Had a Hammer, said Ms Hawkley, who added that Stamp was including her own lyrics including swear words.

After several abortive attempts, officers finally got into her house and arrested her. She had previous convictions.

Mr Lewin said alcohol was a factor with underlying mental health problems.

Stamp had cut down on her drinking and was attending appointments under a community order but seemed to have been kept waiting an unnecessarily long time for help. On the day of her offence she had been upset after an argument with her boyfriend and also had had to clear up some mess indoors, made by leaving her cats accidentally in the house.

In addition she was extremely worried about losing her house and the cats too, her best friends, because she owed about £70,000.

“‘I am in a mess and I don’t know what to do’, she told me,” said Mr Lewin. He said she needed help desperately but was not getting it quickly enough.

Stamp was given a sentence of one day in custody, but time already served over the weekend was taken into account.

Chairman Tony Woodhams told her: “If you bang on the wall, play music loud or antagonise your neighbour in any manner, you will be sent to custody. This is your last chance.”