A mother-of-four could face up to five years in prison for beating a woman who was seeing her ex-boyfriend unconscious after bursting into his home at the weekend.

A court was told Charmaine Knibb forced her way into Stewart Hall's home on Saturday and began punching and kicking a woman he met on a dating website.

Moments before the incident, Knibb sent Hall a message saying she was self-harming. He looked out the window and saw Knibb with a craft knife.

Before he could go outside he heard a loud bang and the front door was thrown open.

Prosecuting, Rebecca Pierce, said: "She kicked open the door with the knife in her hand and said 'where is she?'"

Knibb attacked her victim on the bed repeatedly punching and kicking her in a brutal and sustained assault.

Mr Hall eventually pulled Knibb off of the woman and restrained her and the police were called.

The court was told that, while being restrained, Knibb bit Mr Hall and said: "I will say you raped and hit me. I know you didn't but I'm still going to say it."

In interview Knibb told police 'I kicked the s*** out of her'.

Knibb visited Mr Hall's home four days prior to the incident, and insisted on finding out who the woman he had been out for a drink with was.

She posted a letter through his door stating she was going to kill herself.

Knibb had previously been in a relationship with Mr Hall for six months.

Since breaking up she had bombarded him with calls and texts, asking to 'sort out the relationship', Ms Pierce said.

Defending, Anjan Arif, said the 39-year-old had been in a very dark place and had accepted she behaved unlawfully at the time of the offence.

He said: "It is the result of a relationship she found difficult to let go of.

"She felt it was a serious relationship even if it had only been six months. She felt betrayed and hurt."

However, Mr Arif, said 'her time in custody has made her feel very differently'.

Knibb, of High Street in Axbridge, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and possession of a bladed weapon, when she appeared before magistrates at North Somerset Courthouse on Monday.

She was remanded in custody and the trial adjourned while a pre-sentence report is conducted.

The next hearing will take place at Taunton Magistrates Court on December 11.