A call has been made for those who assault police to feel “the full force of the law”, after a woman who fractured an officer’s finger was given a structured deferred sentence.
Drunken Lisa Milne grabbed hold of the fingers of the officer’s right hand and “forcibly bent them backwards” during the disturbance at a caravan site in Fife.
Police had been called to Pan Ha’, Dysart, to deal with the 41-year-old, who was initially compliant before turning violent.
Milne admitted the July 9 assault and others, on March 19 at Dysart harbour, when she struck a male officer on the head with her elbow and at Kirkcaldy police station on the same date when she kicked a custody officer on the body.
Deferred sentence after prison warning
When she pled guilty in November Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith said he is “totally appalled and stunned” by the number of people in his court for attacks on emergency workers, particularly police.
The sheriff told Milne a custodial sentence is appropriate as there “requires to be a message sent to society” such conduct is unacceptable but he required background reports before jailing her.
Milne, of Cook Street, Dysart, appeared before a different sheriff at her sentencing hearing last week.
Sheriff Steven Borthwick told her: “These are serious matters but I have had the benefit of a very detailed criminal justice social work report, giving the court full information about the background circumstances.”
The sheriff imposed a three-month structured deferred sentence, including attending meetings with social work and undertaking work to address her offending behaviour.
She will return to court on March 20 next year and sentencing options will remain open to the court.
‘Full force of the law’
Scottish Police Federation chairman David Threadgold told The Courier: “Let me be absolutely clear, police officers carry out a vital function in keeping our communities safe and under no circumstances should they be the subject of physical and/or verbal assaults simply for doing their job.
“The consumption of alcohol in no way mitigates the actions of those who drink to excess.
“Police officers and the public should rightly expect that the law sends a clear message to those who may consider it acceptable to assault our police officers – it is not.
“The officer in this case was the subject of what would be classified as a serious assault and my expectation would be that the ‘punishment should fit the crime’.
“The difference between Sheriff Niven-Smith’s view that a custodial sentence is ‘appropriate for those who assault the police’ and the sentence eventually passed in this case, suggest a clear issue in the options open to sheriffs.
“If we are to meaningfully send a message to those with criminal intentions towards police officers, a review of the current sentencing guidelines should be considered to allow the full force of the law to fall on those who commit this type of crime.
“Pressure on the prison estate should in no way hinder appropriate justice for our officers.”
Stripped and screamed
Prosecutor Andrew Brown earlier told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court police were called by a member of the public at about 1.15am on July 9 to advise Milne had turned up at their caravan in an intoxicated state.
The 41-year-old began removing items of clothing while screaming and shouting and, when officers attended, they found her behaving erratically.
Mr Brown said Milne was “wearing only her leggings, trainers and a bra”.
Milne, a pupil support assistant at an additional needs school, was taken to a police vehicle but her mood suddenly changed and she began remonstrating with the female officer, before assaulting her.
No details were given about the officer’s recovery or any time off work.
Defence lawyer Aron Thomson said Milne is remorseful and has no recollection of the incident due to being heavily under the influence – she had mixed alcohol with pain medication.
As well as the assaults, Milne admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner on July 9 and threatening violence towards police on March 19.
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