Intoxicated woman spat at police
SPIT ‘WENT DIRECTLY IN MOUTH’ OF ONE OFFICER, COURT HEARD AS SHE WAS JAILED
A WOMAN has been jailed after a scuffle with police officers saw her spit at them as she was being restrained - one officer said the spit landed ‘directly in her mouth’.
Michelle Brown, 44, had turned up at her ex’s house, breaching a restraining order against her, and the police were called to attend.
After trying to attack the officers with a wine bottle, Brown, of Salford, was restrained on the floor by the four officers, Manchester Magistrates Court heard.
However, during the scuffle Brown lifted her head and spat towards the four officers, hitting them all in the face and body.
One officer said they were worried about potentially being infected with coronavirus and passing it onto their family and friends.
Another officer said in a statement that the spit landed directly in her mouth, and she had to go to A&E and get an injection for Hepatitis B, the court was told.
Brown pleaded guilty to four offences of assaulting an emergency worker, along with failing to attend court, breaching a restraining order, racially aggravated harassment and breaching a suspended sentence.
She was sentenced yesterday to 12 months’ imprisonment. Prosecutor Rachael Yarwood said the incident took place on April 30 this year when officers attended at her ex-partner’s house, after receiving reports that she was outside on the street, putting her in breach of her restraining order. “They attended, she was holding a bottle of wine and was intoxicated,” Ms Yarwood said.
“As one of the police officers tried to take it off her, she tried to use it as a weapon towards them.”
Brown was said to have 150 previous convictions for 276 offences, including breaching a restraining order for which she received a 12 week sentence suspended for 12 months. Mitigating, her defence lawyer Abigail Henry said: “She’s entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity. “They were together for two and a half years, it was volatile between both sides. She has struggled to accept the fact he has moved on.
“She’s a chronic alcoholic.” Sentencing her, Manchester JPs said: “Emergency workers cannot be faced with situations like this.
“I’m sure when you think about it, you will agree and understand that people do not deserve to be assaulted and spat at when they go to work.” Brown was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to each officer.
People do not deserve to be assaulted and spat at when they go to work Sentencing JPs