Woman spat and coughed at police and security staff
DRUNK SUSPECTED THIEF IS JAILED FOR ASSAULT
A SUSPECTED thief coughed and spat on a supermarket security guard then assaulted the police officer who arrested her.
Drunk Kerry Walker was in Asda, in Benwell, Newcastle, when she was asked to leave by the member of staff because he thought she was stealing.
But, the 31-year-old immediately turned abusive and called the security guard a “specky b ***** d” before coughing at him and spitting on him on two occasions.
The police were called but Walker, who was already on a community order for assaulting an emergency worker, refused to calm down and, instead, dug her fingernails into an officer’s wrist, causing one to “dig into his flesh”.
Now, Walker, of Westgate Road,
Newcastle, has been jailed for 18 weeks after she admitted assault by beating and assaulting an emergency worker.
Sentencing her at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Sarah Griffiths said: “Your behaviour was, quite frankly, disgraceful because the only reason you would cough in the security guard’s face is because of what’s going on at the moment.
“You wanted to instil fear into the security guard. Then, when he was taking you out, you spat at him, not once, but twice. Luckily, he was wearing a visor, so it hit that.
“It’s appalling and disgraceful behaviour.”
Prosecutor, James Long, said the security guard asked Walker to leave the Asda store on the afternoon of May 11 but she immediately became aggressive.
“She coughs at him,”
Mr Long continued. “Fortunately, the security guard is wearing a protec- tive visor.
“He places his hand on her shoulder to get her out the store to prevent further issues.
“The defendant swings her handbag at him, which hits him to the left side, causing pain and discomfort, and calls him a specky b ***** d.
“She then spits at him on two occasions. Fortunately, that spit hit the visor.”
The court heard that the police were called and Walker then went on to assault an officer by digging her nails into his wrist.
Andy O’Hanlon, defending, said Walker was struggling with her “own demons” and was vulnerable herself. “Six weeks ago, she was subject to a serious assault and was stabbed in the head and had a doublefigure number of stitches,” the solicitor added. “That’s causing her a lot of pain and had led to increased levels of alcohol consumption.”
Walker was also ordered to pay £128 compensation to the security guard.
Judge Sarah Griffiths
...the only reason you would cough in the security guard’s face is because of what’s going on at the moment