A 37-year-old woman will be sentenced next month after she admitted a charge of affray arising out of an incident involving a fellow narrowboat owner on the canal at Elland.

Tracey Sykes also pleaded guilty to causing £150 worth of damage to her neighbour’s vessel and possession of a kitchen knife when her case was listed at Bradford Crown Court today (Mon).

All three offences relate to an incident back in April while she and the complainant Keith Newman were living on neighbouring narrowboats which were moored up near Elland Bridge.

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Sykes, who has subsequently moved her vessel to another location, had been due to stand trial on the charges but she pleaded guilty to the offences after Judge David Hatton QC indicated that he would not send her to jail immediately.

Barrister Felicity Hemlin told the judge that at the time of the incident her client had a significant problem with crack cocaine, but she had since sorted her life out.

“She doesn’t take crack cocaine and lives elsewhere on her narrowboat,” said Miss Hemlin.

Miss Hemlin said there had been background to the offending in April and her client had not been in any trouble with the courts since 2009.

The court heard Sykes had had a problem with crack cocaine at the time of the incident

Judge Hatton said he wanted a full report about Sykes from the probation service and he granted her bail until her sentence hearing on December 15.

Sykes, whose current address was not disclosed, must not have any contact with Mr Newman in the meantime and she has to co-operate with the probation service in compiling their report.