A PARANOID schizophrenic told psychiatric workers that voices of demons in her head had told her to kill a child.

Gillian Newman had not been taking her medication when she told a community psychiatric nurse "They are telling me to harm a child."

Newman, of Westminster Road, Toothill, pleaded guilty to a charge of threats to kill.

But after hearing that the 30-year-old had a package of support in the community a judge at Swindon Crown Court imposed an 18-month probation order rather than a prison sentence.

Stacey Turner, prosecuting, said that Miss Newman had been known to the mental health agencies in Swindon for about eight years.

She said Andrew Davenport was her community psychiatric nurse and on January 18 he received information about Newman which worried him and he went to meet her at about 2pm.

"She said she would strangle that child. Mr Davenport said in a statement 'I have no reason to disbelieve what she was saying.'"

When spoken to by the police she told them she was not going to carry out the threat but intended it to be believed.