Lurgan woman, who kicked a police officer in the face and assaulted others at Craigavon Hospital, has been 'crippled' by drug abuse
A woman, who kicked a police officer in the face, has been ‘crippled’ by drug abuse, a court has heard.
Megan Chloe McSherry, aged 25, from Sloanhill Court, Lurgan, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with three counts of assaulting police and two charges of disorderly behaviour.
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The court heard that on March 6 last year at 11.20pm, police received a report of a concern for safety of a woman in Lurgan. When police arrived she ‘ran into the street shouting that she wanted her mother to leave’.
She became abusive towards police and was shouting ‘dirty cxxts’ and ‘RUC cxxts’.
After she was arrested McSherry struggled with police and refused to walk to the police vehicle. Whilst in the vehicle she ‘kicked out’ hitting one officer twice in the mouth and another in abdomen.
She was taken to hospital by police. “Whilst there she was verbally and physically abusive attempting at one stage to bite and spit at police. Whilst she was restrained she kicked a third officer in the arm,” said the prosecutor.
The prosecutor said staff had to bring her to resuscitation to sedate her “due to the violent outbursts”.
McSherry’s barrister, Mr Gavyn Cairns, said his client appears with her mother. He pointed to the pre-sentence report which said McSherry has led “a chaotic lifestyle in recent years crippled by poor emotional wellbeing and chronic drug use”.
He revealed McSherry started abusing drugs in her mid teens and it has “blighted the last decade of her life” despite “strong efforts of parental guidance”.
Mr Cairns read from the pre-sentence report which said that while she presented as remorseful, “further evidence was needed on her attitude toward police”.
He added McSherry appears to have little recollection of these events as she “had imbibed a concoction of illicit substances”.
The barrister added that she has engaged with Community Addictions without a court order which has had “a marked improvement on her presentation”.
He admitted the scenes at the hospital would have been “distressing” for others.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan, warning McSherry she could go to jail, said: “There were a number of officers assaulted by you – one was kicked in the face.”
He sentenced her a Combination Order including a 12 months Probation Order and 80 hours Community Service.