Woman ‘behaved abominably’ by kicking police officer after night of 80s music

A woman “behaved abominably” by kicking a police officer after a drunken night listening to 80s music.Hayley Garford, 45, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where she pleaded guilty to assault by beating of an emergency worker.She also admitted a charge of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

The offences were committed just after midnight on May 19 after she had been ejected from The Eagle pub on Norfolk Street in Lynn.Speaking to police officers outside the venue, she insisted she had done nothing wrong – but they told her that her “night was over”.Garford proceeded to ask for their collar numbers so she could make complaints against them, but they told her she was drunk and to go home. She responded by shouting at the officers to arrest her, before lunging towards them. When they did try to detain her, Garford kicked out and struck one of the constables on the genitals.Mitigating, duty solicitor George Sorrell said: “Here is a lady, 45 years of age, of previous good character, never been in trouble before. So it is completely out of character. “She was invited to go out for drinks with a couple of friends – nothing wrong with that. She was listening to 80s music – rock, etcetera.“The events really got a bit too much for her. She doesn’t normally drink much, and she had too much.“She behaved abominably. Kicking anybody is bad enough, but kicking a police officer is stupid more than anything else.” Garford, of Jubilee Walk in Wisbech, faced a community-based sentence because of her offence.However, Mr Sorrell argued that she would struggle to carry out any such order because she is a full-time carer for her children.“She has learned her lesson – she doesn’t want to come back,” he added.Magistrates therefore fined Garford £300 instead.She will also pay a £120 victim surcharge, £50 in court costs and £50 in compensation to the officer she assaulted.