A TEENAGER is facing a lengthy jail term after she was caught in possession of a blade for the eighth time.

Jessica McGinness was caught with a 10-inch kitchen knife after police were called out to deal with three drunk teens on Musselburgh High Street earlier this year.

McGinness admitted to officers she was carrying the large blade and that she had just been released from prison for knife possession.

The 19-year-old then told officers that she had nowhere to live and wanted to go back to Cornton Vale prison as she had “no life on the outside”.

McGinness pleaded guilty to possessing a knife at High Street, Musselburgh, on January 29 this year during an appearance from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Thursday.

Depute fiscal Brian Robertson told the court that McGinness, from Edinburgh, had been in custody since February 1 this year and had recently been released early from a previous jail term for carrying a blade.

Mr Robertson said: “At 10.40pm on a Friday night, police received a complaint of a young female on Musselburgh High Street.

“They were met there by three females and one of those, the accused, was clearly intoxicated.

“She told police she had recently been released from prison for carrying a knife and that she had nowhere to stay.

“She then told police she was carrying a knife, which she produced from her jacket pocket.

“The kitchen knife was a total of 10 inches in length, with a five-inch blade.

“She then told police she wanted to go back to prison as she had no life on the outside.”

Solicitor Sandra Walker said her client “now wanted her liberty” but added that the teenager had “never used a knife on anyone”, despite this being the eighth time she had been in possession of a knife.

Ms Walker said: “The circumstances are unclear – she doesn’t know why she was carrying the knife is what she has told me.”

Sheriff Kenneth Maciver said: “This is her eighth conviction for carrying a knife and she has multiple breaches of bail. I accept on this occasion she self-reported in order to be taken into custody and that is a sad situation for a 19-year-old.”

Sheriff Maciver remanded McGinness in custody and deferred sentence to March 24 for the preparation of social work and psychiatric reports.