Woman fined for assault on a police officer

A woman who threw an empty cardboard box at a police officer is £168 out of pocket after appearing before Lynn magistrates.Melissa Richardson, 27, of Anthony Nolan Road, Lynn pleaded guilty to common assault on an emergency worker when she appeared before the bench on Thursday,Katherine Newson, prosecuting, described how the police had attended an address in Anthony Nolan Road and were approached by Richardson, who started shouting and swearing at them.

She said: “Richardson said: “I’m going to hit a copper in the f—ing head. “The officers tried to calm her down but she threw an empty cardboard box she was holding at PC Staff.The police officer put her hands up to protect her face and the box hit her hands. No injury was caused, but Richardson was arrested. Ms Newson told the court Richardson was in breach of two conditional discharges, one made in February for 12 months and the other in June for six months.Tiffany Meredith, mitigating, said: “This is just about the lowest level of assault certainly I have ever seen. It was an empty cardboard box, it was a medicine box she happened to have in her hands.” She described Richardson’s actions as “reckless” and said she was a very vulnerable woman with lots of mental health issues as a result of which she does not have good coping mechanisms.Magistrates told Richardson: “You are lucky it was only a cardboard box you were holding, otherwise it could have been much worse.”Magistrates decided to fine Richardson £120 with a £48 victim surcharge but took no further action on the breaches of the conditional discharges.