Conditional discharge for woman who said she'd give PC 'reason to lock her up' before punching her
A woman who said she'd give a police officer a 'reason to lock her up' before punching her in the face during a mental health crisis has walked out of court with a conditional discharge.
Two officers attended the home of Susan Colbourne in Brockton, Shifnal, on April 30 after West Mercia Police received a call from her husband.
Telford Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday how he told police she was "smashing up the house" and "smashed her son's BMW on the driveway".
Prosecutor, Mrs Sharan Gill, said he had left the address and waited for offices at the front of the house.
She told the court that as one officer was shown around the house to see the damage Colbourne had caused, the other - PC Jessica Cummings - went to speak to the 55-year-old who then became "argumentative".
The court heard how Colbourne was told to calm down but then said "I will give you a reason to lock me up" before throwing a right-handed punch which connected with PC Cummings' left cheek.
The two officers tried to restrain the defendant but, the court heard, she then hit PC Cummings again, this time with a mobile phone held in her clenched first.
In a victim impact statement read by the prosecutor, the officer said that after the attack she was "far more wary of members of the public during my work".
She said that before the incident, one of her strengths was dealing with abusive behaviour, but now she would call for assistance and she was "less trusting".
PC Cummings suffered some temporary redness and swelling to her cheek, but also said she had a painful and wobbly tooth as a result of Colbourne's second punch as she held a phone, leaving her worried it would need to come out.
Colbourne pleaded guilty to one charge of assaulting an emergency worker earlier this month.
Representing herself and supported by her husband at her sentencing on Wednesday, Colbourne disputed the prosecution's claims, saying they told a "completely different story to the one we heard last time", before going on to describe the claims as "exaggerated".
"Bodycam footage doesn't show anything of what was alleged," she said, although no footage was played in the hearing.
"It was not out of malice, it was in a mental health crisis."
Sentencing Colbourne, chairman of the bench Professor William Drury described the case as "really difficult".
He gave her a 12-month conditional discharge, saying that if she avoids coming back to court for any other reason in the next year, she will not face any punishment for the assault.
He also imposed a £26 surcharge.
