A woman who assaulted two police officers told her solicitor that she had become upset after seeing a relative be subjected to a homophobic attack.
Bethany Cracknell, 19, of Holyrood Drive, Dersingham, admitted to the two accounts of assault of an emergency worker along with being drunk and disorderly at Lynn’s Magistrates’ Court last Thursday.
Crown prosecutor Denise Holland told the magistrates that at around 3am on February 4, Cracknell was seen on Chapel Street in Lynn screaming at a group of men and lunging towards them.
Officers reported that she was “screaming at the top of her lungs” and that they repeatedly told her to calm down.
The group of men then ran away and another officer was sent to find them.
One officer described Cracknell kicking her in the face and screaming in the face of another before using her knee to kick him in the groin.
Officers reported experiencing pain at the time but faced no visible injuries.
The police report also included that officers said to Cracknell “you just kicked me in the face” and “you kicked me in the groin”, which was later disputed by Cracknell’s solicitor, Ruth Johnson.
Ms Johnson said that Cracknell was coming out of the Duke’s Head Hotel with her relative after a works function and admitted she had been drinking.
“She discovered that her [relative] had too much to drink and tried her best to take him home.
“They were approached by the group of lads who appeared from a darkened area.
“Homophobic remarks were made from the lads about her [relative] and he sustained an attack from the group of four to five men.”
She continued: “The police were called and the men disappeared. She went into fight or flight mode.
“She was frustrated that her [relative] was hurt.”
Ms Johnson said that police bodywarn footage shows that aggressive language by officers was used.
“In the footage shown, you can hear an officer saying, ‘you f***ing b***h, you kicked me in the face’.”
Ms Johnson reported that the other officer said: “She f***ing kneed me in the groin.”
Another officer said: “No, she’s got f**k all on though.”
Cracknell has no previous convictions.
She was handed a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £26 victim surcharge fee and £50 in court costs.
