Hampshire woman who 'lost control' spitting at police officers spared jail

A WOMAN who ‘lost control of her emotions’ has been spared jail for spitting at police officers.
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Karen Kenny, 35, of Churchill Avenue, Bishop's Waltham, has been ordered to complete an anger management course.

It comes as she admitted five charges of assaulting emergency workers, five police officers, in Portsmouth on July 29.

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She also admitted damaging an iPhone 5 in Bishop's Waltham on the same day.

Portsmouth Magistrates' Court. Picture: Chris MoorhousePortsmouth Magistrates' Court. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Portsmouth Magistrates' Court. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
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Kenny must pay £200 compensation.

She must pay a £120 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Portsmouth magistrates imposed an eight-week jail term suspended for 18 months.

She must complete the anger course, a women's programme and 30 days' rehabilitation activities.

Kenny must complete 100 hours' unpaid work.

It comes as a survey of officers in England and Wales found nearly half of officers who thought they contracted Covid, thought they had done so through work-related activities.

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Zoe Wakefield, Hampshire Police Federation chair: ‘Police officers are attending sudden deaths where the cause is the virus and dealing with numerous members of the public of which some will have the virus.

‘With this much exposure and this much risk, it is inevitable that officers are going to contract the virus as a result of work.

‘And sadly there is an element of society who will always want to attack the police. They are now using the virus as a weapon by coughing, spitting and biting at officers.

‘This is dangerous, disgusting and completely unacceptable. Many officers have children or family members who are shielding at home. The fear of taking the virus home with potentially fatal consequences is very real.’

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She has called again for officers to receive priority for vaccinations.

She said: ‘Police officers are putting themselves at risk every day and police officers are dying from this virus. Sickness rates in some forces have been over 10%. This is not sustainable.

‘The public need and deserve a healthy police force. We are the only ones who can carry out enforcement and help keep this pandemic under control.’

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