SINGAPORE - An unemployed woman with a borderline IQ and other psychiatric issues was placed on 18 months' probation on Wednesday for threatening and assaulting a woman.

Elizerbeth Chua Hui Ping, 25,was found by a government psychiatrist to be over sensitive to criticism, impulsive and to have had anger management issues since she was young. She was bullied and ridiculed frequently in primary school for her personality and low intelligence.

In September, she pleaded guilty to threatening a 42-year-old woman by saying "I will beat and kill your sons", with intent to cause her alarm, at a void deck in Jurong West on Dec 9 last year.

She also admitted to punching and kicking the woman several times.

Three other hurt charges were taken into consideration in sentencing.

The court heard that Chua was walking her dog when she saw the victim's six- and nine-year-old sons playing with a ball in Jurong West Street 81. One of them kicked the ball which missed her dog narrowly.

She confronted them and started to slap and push them. A domestic helper who had accompanied the boys went home and told the victim that her children were being beaten up at the playground.

The victim rushed down and saw Chua screaming at her sons.

When she questioned Chua, Chua shouted that she would "beat and kill'' her sons.

Chua then grabbed the older boy's T-shirt. When the victim told her to stop, Chua retaliated by punching and kicking her. Chua was restrained by other members of the public.

Mr Foo Juyuan, a Criminal Legal Aid Scheme Fellow, said Chua suffers from a host of psychiatric conditions and said a mandatory treatment order would benefit her. But she was found not suitable for the community-based sentence.

The court then called for a probation report which recommended her probation.

Mr Foo said since December last year, his client had collapsed multiple times a month and had been admitted at least 20 times at various hospitals.

Chua is on long-term psychiatric and psychotherapy treatment. She will take medication and necessary treatment under one of the terms of her probation order.

Addressing Chua in court on Wednesday, District Judge Mathew Joseph said: "You would have realised that that this is not the way to deal with any anger management issues that you have. You don't go round punching and kicking others. These are serious offences. You need to learn to control yourself."

He told her not to do it again, that she needs to behave herself and listen to her parents. She nodded and said: "Yes."

Chua's parents executed a $5,000 bond to ensure her good behaviour.

The maximum penalty for causing hurt is two years' jail and a $5,000 fine, and for criminal intimidation, two years and a fine.