Jail term for Larne woman who bit a police officer
A woman who committed a string of offences including biting a police officer has been jailed for a year.
Cheryl Gardener (31), of Victoria Road in Larne, appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, via video link from prison.
On September 24, 2022, she tried to bite a police officer. She struggled and kicked out at police.
She also assaulted a man in a bar and she was in possession of amphetatmine. On May 24, 2023, she caused criminal damage by kicking in a gate.
She committed shoplifting offences on July 11, 2023 and August 23, 2023. On February 18 last year in Larne she lunged at a police officer and attempted to bite him.
On August 8 last year the defendant assaulted staff members at an off-licence in Larne. She took a bottle of Buckfast and smashed it.
She was drunk and bit a police officer on the right hand and kicked him on the leg.
On November 19 last year she was drunk in Larne town centre. Officers took her to Antrim Area Hospital where she was shouting and swearing in front of other patients.
She was verbally abusive to police and hospital staff. She kicked a police officer on the shin.
A student nurse told police that whilst she had been treating the defendant in a triage room Gardener had lunged towards her. The defendant was shouting. The nurse was put in fear of attack.
The defendant was in breach of several suspended sentences.
A defence barrister said the defendant has an issue with alcohol and quite often she had no memory of incidents.
He said: "Alcohol became an issue at the age of 12." He added that around that time the defendant was also taking drugs.