A woman who pointed a police officer's own taser at her and sprayed her in the face with incapacitant spray in a hospital car park has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.
Janine Hopkins, 33, of Townhill Road in Cockett, was arrested on Saturday, December 20 last year following an incident which resulted in no further action being taken.
While in police custody, she was taken to Morriston Hospital in the early hours of December 21, as it was believed she had taken an unknown drug.
Attack on officer
After examination in hospital, she was placed in the back of a police van, awaiting the results of her examination, when her behaviour started to change. She was heard to say that she "wanted to wake up and was still in a dream".
PC Amy Shaw believed Hopkins was experiencing the drugs wearing off, and attempted to calm her down. But the court heard how Hopkins reacted by taking PC Shaw's taser out of the holster of her tactical vest and pointing it towards her.
A struggle ensued as PC Shaw tried to retrieve the taser, which also saw her grab the officer's body worn camera and kick the officer's face and chest. She also sprayed the officer in the face with incapacitant spray.
Court sentencing
Hopkins was later interviewed by police in relation to the incident but answered "no comment" to the questions put to her.
She appeared at Swansea Crown Court for sentencing having pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm, namely a taser, which caused PC Shaw to believe unlawful violence would be used against her, and assaulting PC Shaw occasioning actual bodily harm.
Mitigating, her barrister James Allchurch said: "The defendant is extremely remorseful about what happened and regrets that the officer was hurt in the way that has been described."
Judge Huw Rees, sentencing Hopkins, said: "The officer was only trying to look after you and you behaved disgracefully. If everyone behaved that way we would be living in a lawless society."
Hopkins was given six and eight-month concurrent prison sentences, suspended for 18 months. She must take part in a mental health treatment requirement and complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
