37-year-old learns fate in court after assaulting woman and spitting in police van

A woman who committed an assault, argued outside a supermarket and spat in a police van has learned her fate.Sophie Ellis, 37, of Anderson Close in North Lynn, appeared at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday to be sentenced.She had previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault by beating, one of criminal damage to property, and one of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

She had assaulted another woman on July 8 last year, admitting the offence on October 26 before having her case adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be carried out.The report was tied in with her other two offences, which she committed on November 14. On that date, while in the Aldi car park in Lynn, her aggression towards members of the public led to the police being called.Officers found Ellis towards the rear of the car park, where she was unsteady on her feet and slurring her words, while her eyes were glazed.Due to her behaviour and the fact that she was intoxicated, she was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.While being transported to the Lynn Police Investigation Centre in a marked van, she began to spit in the vehicle, causing the criminal damage. Magistrates opted to follow the probation service’s recommendations in its pre-sentence report and handed Ellis a 12-month community order for her assault.As part of this, she will be required to complete five rehabilitation activity requirement days, a drug treatment programme, and 150 hours of unpaid work. She will also pay £100 in compensation to her victim.Meanwhile, she was told to pay £100 in compensation to Norfolk Police for spitting in the van.Mitigating, solicitor George Sorrell said: “Ms Ellis really wants to be able to work with probation to sort her problems out.”