Woman ordered to pay compensation to PSNI officer bitten on the hand following Ballymena Pride parade
A woman has been ordered to pay £250 compensation to a policewoman who was bitten on the hand following a Pride parade in Ballymena
The 53-year-old attempted to bite another officer's hand during the incident on June 21 this year.
A prosecutor told Ballymena Magistrates' Court how police received a report of an intoxicated person in the Moat Road area of the town and she "appeared unable to stand".
Police said an ambulance would be needed for a "back injury" and while waiting its arrival, the woman – Jenny Surgenor, of Chichester Park East in Ballymena – became verbally abusive and disorderly.
The court heard that while trying to move her to a police vehicle, Surgenor bit a policewoman on the hand and tried to bite a male officer.
She pleaded guilty to two charges of assault.
A defence solicitor told the court the defendant wishes to apologise.
He said she had been to a Pride parade earlier and had drink taken.
She had an "acute back injury" and had collapsed and had become "anxious" whilst waiting for the ambulance, the solicitor said.
District Judge Nigel Broderick told the defendant's solicitor: "Imagine you had your hand bitten, it wouldn't be very nice would it?"
The judge said Surgenor was "very fortunate" not to be jailed as assaults on police are wholly unacceptable but there was no excuse to bite a police officer "who was only offering you assistance".
He said there were "obviously underlying issues" and put her on Probation for a year and said she would have to pay £250 compensation to the policewoman.