A woman played dead in the street after she attacked a police officer on a drunken night out.
Chelsea Henley, 18, from Birchwood, slumped to the ground after kicking a patrol car, before she lay on the ground with her eyes closed as an officer battled to get her to her feet. Henley, who had been drinking heavily on a night out in Warrington, was advised to go home by an officer, but relatives looked on as she defiantly pushed the PC in the chest.
Henley, who works at McDonalds, was eventually bundled into a police van, where she kicked out at officers before being escorted to cells and left to sober up. At Warrington Magistrates' Court, Henley faced up to 12 months jail after she admitted assaulting an emergency worker and being drunk and disorderly.
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However, she escaped with a fine of £140, with £119 in costs and a victim surcharge. This came about after the court heard she was initially charged by police with being drunk and disorderly and was only further charged with assault following a review by CPS lawyers.
Sentencing, chair of the magistrates' bench Katherine Whitaker told Henley: “I hope that you don’t think it was a good night given that you have ended up in court. It certainly does not look like a good night out to me.
“Emergency workers should be protected and they should not expect to be assaulted. There will not be any compensation but I hope that you will take note of this and that we do not see you again.”
The court heard Henley was seen to be intoxicated when officers spotted her in the Bridge Street area of Warrington town centre in the early hours of May 29. Alex Morgan, prosecuting, said: “PC Pringle was on uniformed duty with another officer at 2.15am in Warrington town centre when their attention was drawn to the defendant.
''She then walked around and approached PC Pringle and kicked his motor vehicle. It caused no damage but in doing so she fell to the floor. She remained on the floor with her eyes closed but still breathing. PC Brown tried to rouse her but the defendant would only get up when she was informed she was going to be arrested.”
Shortly afterwards, the court heard that PC Pringle told Henley to leave the area, but she pushed him with both hands to the chest area. Ms Morgan added: “PC Pringle took the defendant to the floor and arrested her for police assault.
"When being placed into the back of the police vehicle she tried to kick out before being restrained and placed in the back of the police vehicle.”
The hearing was told Henley had never previously appeared before a court. In mitigation, defence lawyer Gary Schooler said: “This is clearly out of character. She had been out during the course of the evening with family and friends and had clearly consumed excess alcohol.
"She was observed to be in an intoxicated condition in presence of her family. She has pushed PC Pringle but nothing other than that. There is a reference to her kicking out but that did not involve any contact with the officers.
“Police clearly looked at all the evidence and decided the level of offending was low and that were only going to charge her with being drunk and disorderly. She was never formally interviewed about anything else. However, the CPS have a duty to review the charges and they have done that. She pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.”
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