Officer felt '˜degraded' after attack

Jamie Louise Eltoft, who was said by police to be under the influence of something, spat in an officer’s face, leaving him sickened and feeling degraded.

Eltoft, 30, of Hinton Street, Burnley, admitted criminal damage to the tune of £700 to the door on Coal Clough Lane and police assault, on April 25.

The defendant, who was in breach of a conditional discharge, was fined £80 and was ordered to pay £250 compensation.

Mrs Alex Mann, prosecuting, said Eltoft had originally gone to her ex’s, asked for a lift home and was refused.

She then went across the road to his new girlfriend address and started banging on her door. Mrs Mann continued :” She explained she was unhappy because her partner was in a new relationship.”

Police arrived at about 8pm and found the defendant with two police community support officers. She was behaving erratically, one minute being reasonable, the next agitated, crying and shouting abuse.

Eltoft refused to get in the van, was walked to the rear, was told to get in and was handcuffed.

The prosecutor said :” She had to be lifted in the van because she wouldn’t cooperate. She was kicking at the cage.

She was taken to the custody office, where she was agitated and shouting abuse and tilted her head backwards and deliberately spat at the officer.”

Mr John Rusius, defending Eltoft, told the court she suffered from schizophrenia and was bi-polar.

Her ex- partner’s new girlfriend, he said, was calling her names and she got upset and went and kicked the woman’s door.

Mr Rusius said the defendant claimed when police arrived, one of the officers said to her :” Go and smack yourself in the face and put it straight,” which didn’t go down very well.

The solicitor continued :”She told the custody officer what the officer had said and the officer who had said it stared giggling and laughing at her.

She got more upset and she spat at him.” Mr Rusius added :” She very much regrets what she did. She shouldn’t have done it, she accepts that.”