Woman who attacked five police officers in Havant home spared jail - but must pay them all compensation
A woman who attacked five police officers after they entered her mother’s home has been spared jail - but must pay compensation to the cops.
On November 12 last year, five police constables were assaulted at a property in Homewell, Havant, having been called to the house after reports of an incident.
Inside the property was Jessica Reeve, her infant child and her mother, who owned the home. Reeve, 36 of Chilgrove House Community Hub, Littlehampton, was arrested at the scene accused of assaulting five officers - later being charged for the attacks as well as for criminal damage to a cell door at the Eastern Police Investigation Centre in Portsmouth.
Having pleaded guilty in January, Reeve appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court today (Friday, March 13) to be sentenced.
The court heard how Reeve assaulted officers who had lawful reason to enter the property. Constables were kicked and one was struck in the face, but no serious injuries were sustained.
Officers had been called to the home after an argument erupted between Reeves and her mother, sparked by her mother saying she was trying to reconcile her relationship with another relative. The defendant had also been drinking that evening.
In mitigation, Reeve’s solicitor told magistrates that the defendant’s attention was on her child when police entered the home, and that Reeves apologised to police officers at the scene of the incident.
She had also expressed remorse during the police interview after her arrest, the court heard.
Her solicitor said: “It’s just a very unfortunate chain of events. She was in a very heightened state and bitterly regrets it.”
Sentencing, lead magistrate Eileen Cowling said: “We thought very carefully about your case and the circumstances. We are going to go along with the recommendations of the pre-sentence report, and make a 12-month community order.”
Alongside the community order, Reeve must pay £100 compensation to each police officer; no separate penalty was issued for the criminal damage offence.