Wigan woman's attack on PC was '˜triggered by grief'

Lisa Marie Whalley kicked the constable in the face and leg multiple times, and even tried to headbutt her after being arrested in April.

Appearing at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court, the 34-year-old pleaded guilty to causing Actual Bodily Harm (ABH).

The court heard how three officers were called to Whalley’s home in Scot Lane in April, to attend an incident which was not revealed.

She was placed under arrest and taken to a police car while the officers waited for a van to arrive and take her away.

It was during this wait that one of the officers, PC Williams, noticed Whalley trying to get out of the back of the vehicle, and told her to sit back down and keep calm.

When the officer tried to restrain Whalley, she was kicked below the right knee. The officer grabbed her leg in attempt to stop the attack but she was kicked a second time, at which point she pushed Whalley back into the car.

But the struggle escalated to the point that Whalley then kicked the officer in the face twice, before continuing to hurl abuse at her. In one final effort to hurt the constable, she swung her head towards her, but the headbutt did not land.

Whalley fully admitted to the offence during a police interview, and had asked for her apologies to be passed on to her victim.

Defending, Bob Toppin told the bench that his client had drank a bottle of vodka, a bottle of sherry and eight cans of lager before the assault took place, and that her alcohol issues had been triggered by the death of her partner just weeks earlier.

He said: “This is a very serious matter. Drink is the source of more aggressive behaviour than any kind of drugs. She is drinking constantly and desperately wants help to kick the habit.

“She is very remorseful. People can assume a completely different mantle after a drink.”

Mr Toppin pleaded with justices to be lenient in their sentencing, saying: “If you lock her up, you just paper over the cracks.”

Magistrates handed Whalley a 16-week custodial term, but suspended it for 12 months. She was ordered to pay compensation of £250 and must complete a six-month alcohol treatment requirement.