Aggressive South Shields woman with 33 criminal convictions smacked police officer in the face, court told.
Police officer is awarded £50 compensation after being hit in the face by a South Shields woman with 33 previous criminal convictions.
An aggressive South Tyneside woman struck a policeman in the face in appearing to try to scratch him while being detained in cells, a court heard.
Katie Smith, 44, of Albany Street West, Chichester, South Shields, whacked him after being arrested on an unrelated matter on Monday, May 11.
She played up while being transferred into custody at Wallsend’s Middle Engine Lane police station, prosecutor Georgia Smith said.
And while there, her behaviour became so worrying she was not booked in but taken straight to the cell block.
Magistrates in South Tyneside heard Smith, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting a police officer, had been given a community order just a week earlier for an undisclosed offence.
Ms Smith told the hearing: “Whilst in custody for an unrelated matter, and during transportation to custody, she was being verbally abusive to two officers.
“Officers were concerned by her behaviour and asked that she be taken straight to the cells. She tensed up and was again verbally abusive.
“She raised her left hand and struck the officer to the left side of his face with the open palm as if to scratch his face.
“The offence is aggravated by the fact it was an assault on a police officer. I request compensation for the officer.”
Smith has 33 previous convictions from 52 offences, eight being against the person, it was said.
She was last before a court on Tuesday, May 5, when sentenced to an 18-month community order, with a six-month alcohol treatment order.
David Forrester, defending, said Smith suffered with mental health and an alcohol condition.
Mr Forrester added: “On the day in question, she had been arrested and she tells me she had been taken to hospital in relation to having pain.
“In her view, officers had been dealing with her 'hands on' and quite aggressively.
“Her community order has a long way to go in terms of the alcohol requirement.”
Magistrates told Smith the courts take matters of assaults on police “seriously” but described her offence as low on their harm level.
They allowed her new community order to continue but ordered her to pay the officer £50 in compensation.