Woman gets suspended term for using handcuffs to seriously injure a female police officer

​Nicola Kennedy, 32, formerly of Dunvale in Ballymena but now with an address listed as in Belfast, spent around an hour in the cells at the town's courthouse on Thursday whilst District Judge Natasha Fitzsimons considered her sentencing options.

The defendant was sentenced on charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, disorderly behaviour, resisting police and theft of meat from Marks & Spencer and Asda in Ballymena on October 17 last year.

A prosecutor said police were told of a theft from Marks & Spencer and officers located the defendant and a man in the town. When they spotted police the man and woman made off with the man disposing of a bag of meat and charging at an officer.

Another officer detained Kennedy. The defendant was being violent and was handcuffed but she slipped one hand from the cuffs and used the handcuffs to strike the female officer several times. She also pulled out a clump of her hair.

The police officer also had injuries to her ear, a swollen and cut lip, and scrapes and bruising to her head and face.

The defendant, who has a previous record, was shouting and urgent assistance was sought and pepper spray was used to get her to calm down.

The defendant told police she was a heroin addict and had stolen the meat to fund her addiction.

She said she was remorseful for her actions.

A defence barrister said any attack on public servants like police officers are “absolutely unacceptable” and the defendant had penned a letter of apology to the officer.

The lawyer said the police officer has returned to full duties.

He said in October last year the defendant detoxed for four weeks and then had gone to a residential programme for substance abuse and is now living in supported living accommodation and doing things like yoga and 'wellness and mindfulness'.

He said a pre-sentence report is positive.

Judge Fitzsimons said efforts made by the defendant regarding her addiction issues meant she was not being jailed.

She gave the defendant a six months prison term but suspended it for two years.

She also ordered the defendant, who is on benefits, to pay £500 compensation to the police officer.