A FORMER hairdresser threatened to cut a child into pieces when she was in a drunken rage.

Jacqueline Dillon, 37, terrified youngsters in Pinehurst with violence, provoking disgust among residents by her behaviour, a court heard.

But since that day in April she had become a completely different person, her lawyer claimed.

"This is the real Jackie Dillon, not the woman who went round town known as 'Mad Jackie'" said her solicitor Rob Ross.

Prosecutor Stacey Turner told how police got an urgent call to go to the Circle at Pinehurst where a woman was said to be attacking children.

A female motorist who was sitting in her car waiting for a friend had been frightened into driving off when Dillon approached her window and screamed at her to get out.

The driver described the woman as "evil looking and angry."

She drove off quickly, but stopped in Whitworth Road where she saw a young child in distress.

When she asked if everything was all right she was told: "The woman with the blonde hair said she was going to cut me to little bits."

Mrs Turner said that when officers arrived on the scene they were approached by several other children in a similar state claiming to have been threatened by the woman.

Adults also complained about Dillion's abusive behaviour.

When Dillon, 37, of Sheppard Street, was arrested she was drunk, dirty and babbling incoherently, police said.

Initially she denied a charge of affray, but later changed her plea to guilty.

Mr Ross said: "For a couple of years Jacqueline Dillon has been in a very, very poor state.

"She has been drinking, using drugs and living on the street."

He said that she had been a hairdresser for 16 years without being in trouble.

But things had gone wrong for her after a bad relationship and a spell living abroad.

She recognised that she was capable of being abusive and difficult but he said: "Over the past two months she has really done what many people say they are going to do and very few people actually achieve."

She had sought help from Kingshill House for her drug and alcohol problems, got herself onto a programme and got herself permanent accommodation.

"I have to say the difference in her is almost unbelievable," said Mr Ross.

"She looks like a younger woman."

He stressed that she was determined that she did not want any similar incident to happen again.

Magistrates gave her an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered her to attend the Think First programme.

She was also told to pay court costs of £70.

Tina Clarke