But she does not have to go to jail because of efforts she has made to get treatment for mental health issues.

Mikhaela Courtney O’Loan instead might be able to spend her time under home detention, though she still has to be assessed for her suitability.

Magistrate Tony Murray’s sentence includes a non-parole period of four months.

Mr Murray told O’Loan, 23, she would have gone straight to jail if she had not made attempts to treat her condition, as outlined in a submission from her solicitor, Tim Hemsley.

Earlier, he had made clear the seriousness of O’Loan’s offending, which resulted in a dozen police carrying out a search in central Albury for a woman supposedly armed with a gun.

“Your client is looking at a jail term. What would you like to say?” he put to Mr Hemsley.

Mr Hemsley said O’Loan did not have a criminal record, had managed to find a job and was considered a “low risk” of re-offending.

Mr Hemsley said there was concern that O’Loan would not be able to continue to receive the mental health treatment she had already begun if she was sent to jail.

Mr Murray said he hoped the woman who O’Loan had pretended to be did not have to spend much time in custody after her arrest.

O’Loan had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of make false accusation resulting in an investigation, one of give false information-person/property in danger and a fourth of use a carriage service to threaten to kill.

O’Loan and a male friend went to Albury police station on December 9, claiming she had received violent threats from her ex-girlfriend via texts sent to the man.

The texts said the woman was armed “and would kill police”.

Albury police immediately searched nearby businesses, homes and roof tops.

But soon after they looked in O’Loan’s handbag and found she had another mobile phone that had been used to send the messages.