Catherine Louise Barber, of Green Street, held back tears as her solicitor told the court she was raised by a nun and had never used the drug herself but recently started growing it for her husband, who had been diagnosed with emphysema three years ago.

“It breaks her heart to see him in that much pain each day; she wanted to take his pain away, she felt the medication wasn’t doing anything,” Barber’s solicitor said.

The court heard that police found four cannabis plants in the backyard of Barber’s former Rose Street, Maitland home following an alleged assault on November 28 last year.

Paramedics responding to a callout of a sick elderly male at 10.20am discovered Barber and another woman, Emma Humbles, standing at opposite sides of the street yelling at each other.

Court documents said Barber, 51, and Humbles, 19, are linked through a family relationship.

After treating the sick man – Barber’s husband – paramedics began loading him into the ambulance when the two women started yelling for a second time, police said.

The pair allegedly walked to the front of the ambulance and by the time a paramedic went to see what was going on a physical altercation had begun.

It is alleged Humbles threw punches at Barber who retaliated by scratching Humbles’ arms.

Barber fell to the ground and Humbles allegedly kicked her in the face and back.

Barber’s solicitor tendered photographs to the court showing serious bruising to both eyes and lacerations to her face.

Police investigating the incident found the plants, between 30 and 40 centimetres high, growing in Barber’s backyard.

She pleaded guilty to cultivating a prohibited plant and was convicted without further penalty and was placed on a six month good behaviour bond for affray.

Humbles is due to attend court on July 18 charged with affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.