A woman who drunkenly assaulted a police officer who was driving her home has been handed a community order.
Twenty-six-year-old Leah Jones, of London Road, Pembroke Dock, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to admit a charge of assaulting a police officer acting in the exercise of their functions.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the incident occurred on November 3 when a taxi driver reported Ms Jones to police as she was ‘causing difficulties’ in his cab.
“The police officer tried to get her out of the taxi driver’s vehicle, but the defendant was refusing get out.
Ms. Jones became abusive towards the officer and as she was so drunk he didn’t feel that she was able to look after herself so the officer put her in the back of a police car to take her home.
“As he went past her house she started shouting at him ‘my house is back there!’ and then punched the officer in the back of the head - a very dangerous thing to do as he was driving.
“She continued to shout and swear and was arrested for assault. In a police interview, Ms Jones said that she was so drunk that she couldn’t remember what she had done, all she remembered was leaving a birthday party she’d been to but nothing after that.
“Ms Jones said that she couldn’t dispute the matter as due to her drunkenness.
“She has a previous relevant caution for assaulting a police officer in 2015,” added Mr. Pritchard-Jones.
Defence solicitor Mike Kelleher told the court that Ms Jones had ‘absolutely no recollection’ of what had occurred.
“She’d been to a party with her boyfriend and they’d both indulged in alcohol, so much so that they got a taxi to go home, but he was so drunk and sick outside the cab, that the taxi driver refused to let him back in the vehicle.
“Ms Jones was in disarray as she was without her phone, money...and her boyfriend!
“In a normal circumstance she would be extremely thankful for this police officer in giving her a lift home. She went to police station the following day with a letter of apology,” he added.
Magistrates handed the defendant a 12 month community order with 60 hours unpaid work.
Ms Jones was ordered to pay £50 compensation to the police officer she assaulted, £85 prosecution costs and a £90 victim surcharge.