Mum screams 'he's on the school run and she's on the front with a knife'

This is the terrifying moment a furious mum pointed a steak knife at her ex-boyfriend's partner and offered to fight her "woman to woman". Natalie Ricketts, 42, turned up outside the home of her former partner, Stephen Balnaves, and demanded to see him - but found herself face-to-face with his new girlfriend, Melissa Mawdesley, instead.

The incident occurred on St Annes Grove, Birkenhead, on January 11 this year. Ricketts had gone to Balnaves' house on St Annes Grove, Birkenhead, in a rage after her 16-year-old daughter alleged the 43-year-old had assaulted her.

Balnaves later told police he had scuffled with his daughter after the pair had argued over her untidy bedroom - but "thought nothing of it" until Ricketts arrived at their house.

Miss Mawdesley, who was inside the house with her 14-year-old son when the shocking incident took place, described the moment she opened her front door to find Ricketts armed with the blade. Video footage taken by the mum-of-two shows her engaged in a desperate 999 call, as she said: "My partner's on the way back with my three-year-old son and she's on the front screaming with a knife."

However, the person on the other end of the line appeared to have trouble identifying where she was, and she had to repeat her address several times. Miss Mawdesley told The ECHO: "Stephen had gone to do a school run for my three-year-old, and about 10 minutes later [his daughter] went out, leaving me and my 14-year-old son.

"The next minute we heard screaming, and Natalie was there on the doorstep. I just saw the knife come out.

"I slammed the door and that's when I started recording. I rang the police straight away and I was screaming down the phone.

"My son climbed over the back garden wall to go and get help. He ran out into the garden and down the path, and that's when Stephen was coming back with my three-year-old.

"[My son] ran up to him in hysterics saying 'your ex is going to kill my mum'. You can imagine the trauma he was going through."

The situation escalated as video footage shows Ricketts, dressed in a black Mickey Mouse tracksuit and white boots, banging on Miss Mawdesley's window and pointing the knife at her.

At Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, August 20, it was heard there had been a 20 minute delay in police arriving at the scene, by which time Balnaves, 43, had returned from the school run. He picked up a large branch and hit Ricketts with it, causing her to fall and hit her head. Both parties were later arrested.

Balnaves, of St Annes Grove, Birkenhead, pleaded guilty to section 20 wounding and was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years. Ricketts, who lives in Kirkby, pleaded guilty to possession of a blade and affray, and was sentenced to an 18 month community order, 20 rehabilitation days, and a tag curfew.

Miss Mawdesley said she feared for her life following the incident, adding: "We've had no protection, no CCTV cameras, nothing. My 14-year-old son's school had to arrange for him to be picked up and collected because he was petrified.

"His anxiety is through the roof, and mine too. I can't even go out on my own. I'm even more petrified that she has been given a tag curfew now."

She said: "My mental health is shattered. We've had no aftercare, nothing.

"I've lived here 14 years and I don't want to live here any more because of it. It's been horrendous.

"All this happened at the beginning of the year, and it's still hanging over us now. There's a police station three minutes away on Duke Street, and another one 10 minutes away by the ferry. So why did it take so long [for police to arrive]?"

Miss Mawdesley said she has lodged a complaint with Merseyside Police, and the incident was being looked into. Merseyside Police was approached for comment.