A woman suffering from severe post-natal depression held a pair of scissors to her psychiatrist's neck and asked him if he was scared.

But Melanie Perry, 23, of George V Avenue, Worthing, escaped a prison sentence after the town's magistrates heard the attack was "a cry for help".

She appeared for sentencing after being found guilty of affray and the court heard her victim had been conducting an interview with Perry after being called by Worthing Hospital at 1.30am on December 19.

Claire Ellis, prosecuting, said: "As the interview was drawing to a close, the defendant said 'Can we talk more?' and said 'You're not going to leave me, are you?'.

"The doctor noticed some hospital scissors on the floor, and while she was speaking, he saw her bend down.

"She got up and moved towards the psychiatrist so that her body was touching his left arm and her legs were touching his legs. The next he knew, he felt something sharp being held to the left side of his neck.

"She said, 'Are you scared? I saw it on a TV programme once. It's the left artery you have to go for'."

She pushed the scissors harder against the terrified psychiatrist's neck but he managed to grab her arms and push her to the floor until security staff wrestled the scissors from her, the court heard.

Perry, who is on incapacity and housing benefit, has no previous convictions, although she was cautioned for common assault three years ago.

Mark Rogers, defending, said she was "extremely apologetic" for the attack.

He added: "In April 2000 she gave birth to her son and that was a very traumatic time for her because the child was born 11 weeks early, weighed only 2lbs, and was put in intensive care.

"Twenty months later she split up with her partner and her son stayed living with her partner. Miss Perry was diagnosed as suffering from quite acute post-natal depression."

Mr Rogers added: "She struggled to cope. On the day of the offence she went to see her partner and child and got upset and was in an argument.

"She went away and consumed alcohol, and was at her wits' end."

The court issued an 18-month community rehabilitation order and Perry was ordered to pay £75 costs and £100 compensation to her victim.