Woman lashed out at cop

A distraught woman attacked a police officer after she was left devastated by her diagnosis for cancer, a court was told.

Mary Walsh, 53, attempted to bite the arm of PC Adam Whitehead and kicked him on the body after being taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

Paisley Sheriff Coirt heard Ms Walsh had suffered an adverse reaction to drugs when she flipped out and assaulted the cop in the hospital ward.

Fiscal depute Lynn Jamieson told the court : “Police officers attended a call in relation to the accused who presented herself at Renfrew Police Office in a state of distress.

“She quickly calmed down when police spoke to her. Officers who were concerned for her mental welfare and took her to the Royal Alexandra Hospital for a voluntary assessment.

“Once there she asked for her daughter to be contacted. But she did not answer the phone and this upset the accused further.

“The accused lunged at the officer and tried to bite him on the upper right arm. As she was restrained with handcuffs she lashed out with her leg and struck the officer.”

The accused of Houston Street, Renfrew, was assessed by medics at the hospital before she was charged with attacking the police officer.

Yesterday she appeared at court for sentencing after admitting assaulting the constable by attempting to bite him and kicking him on June 19 last year.

Defence agent Tony Callahan said his client had been left reeling from her recent diagnosis for cancer and had been suffering from the effects of her medication when the incident happened.

He said: “She has faced significant difficulties.

“She was diagnosed with cancer and she suffered an adverse effect to antipsychotic medication she was placed on. She has no recollection of the incident.”

The lawyer added she had completed a six-month community payback order for a previous matter, but continued to work with the authorities on a voluntary basis.

Sheriff Seith Ireland showed mercy to the accused, but said the court had to mark the offence of assaulting a police officer.

He said: “Anyone who tries to bite a police officer then tries to kick him has to pay a penalty. It is a serious matter.

“The officer was assaulted in the course of doing his job.”

She was handed 50 hours unpaid work for the benefit of the community to reflect her plea of guilty.