Plymouth woman 'attempted to bite a policeman'

A WOMAN attacked a policeman and tried to bite him, a court heard.

Louise Cooper pinched and twisted the skin on the officer's leg as he tried to arrest her, Plymouth Magistrates' Court was told.

Cooper, of Clayton Road, in St Judes, admitted assaulting the PC in the execution of his duty.

Gareth Warden, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said officers were called to a report of a domestic incident at her home on June 23.

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He said 32-year-old Cooper became "extremely violent" when they tried to arrest her.

Mr Warden added: "[The PC] attempted to place her in handcuffs and she had to be taken to the ground.

"She assaulted the officer by pinching the inside of his leg and twisting, and attempting to bite him."

He said officers used incapacitant spray to overpower her.

Mr Warden said the PC was left with "no obvious visible injuries", though he was scratched on the arm during the struggle.

Graham Kinchin, for Cooper, said she was "astonished" to be arrested after things had calmed down following a domestic incident.

He said she was at a neighbour's house in her pyjamas with a bloody nose when the police arrived.

Mr Kinchin added she had seen a psychologist for mental health problems but was no longer on medication.

District judge Nigel Hodkinson, who read a probation report on her background, said her record for previous offending was "not pretty".

He gave her a 12-month community order under probation supervision with the service's Female Offender Specified Activity Requirement.

Cooper must pay £75 compensation to the officer and £85 in prosecution costs.