Woman who drunkenly punched PCSO given 'last chance' by judge

Rachael Burt breached a suspended sentence handed to her last August for battery when she assaulted the PCSO, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

Andrew Baker, prosecuting, said the police were called to reports of a drunk woman in The Rose and Crown public house in Ludlow at 9pm on October 26.

He said that a PCSO attended and asked the 30-year-old defendant to leave.

The court was told that Burt said she had done nothing wrong and started "arguing with a red headed woman and scuffling with her", before they were separated by the PSCO and members of staff.

Three police officers were sent to the scene and Burt was escorted from the pub.

Mr Baker added: “The defendant was being escorted from the premises when she threw a punch in the direction of the red-headed woman aiming for her but hit a PCSO in the side of her head.

“Fortunately the injury wasn’t that severe but it caused pain and shock."

Paul Smith, for the defendant, said there were features of the case which make it "exceptional".

One of which was that Burt, of Henley Road, Ludlow, had been seeking help to tackle her problems with alcohol.

Mr Smith said: “There’s been a dramatic change in Miss Burt’s attitude to her alcoholism and this offence is pivotal to that.

“Prior to this offence she believed she was not an alcoholic and she could go for periods controlling it.

“This offence has taught her that can’t be the case and she needs total abstinence.

“She’s attending Alcoholics Anonymous and she calls herself an alcoholic.

“The day this happened she had a period of not drinking then thought she was able to drink in a social situation. It was a funeral of a friend who died unexpectedly.

"She got in an argument with another friend who she has apologised to since.”

Judge Peter Barrie said he gave Burt "real credit" for making an effort to turn her life around.

He said: “I’m concerned to find that on October 26 you’d clearly been drinking and were misbehaving violently.

“I think you’ve come to understand you’re in a perilous situation today.

“More importantly you’ve come to understand the consequences of what happened in October and you weren’t coping as well as you thought you were.

“I give you a real credit for making an effort to turn a corner.

“I’ve decided to give you a last chance in this circumstance.

“Because of the progress you’ve made in dealing with your alcohol problems I think it would be unjust to activate the suspended sentence."

Burt, who was charged with assault of a designated or accredited person, was given a community order for a period of 12 months, 20 days of rehabilitation activity and will be subject to a curfew between 7pm and 7am for eight weeks.