A CHARD woman who attacked a police officer after becoming angry that her husband was being arrested has been fined and electronically tagged.

Malgorzata Leskiewicz climbed into the same police van that officers had put her husband in and refused to get out, and when she ignored repeated warnings she would also be arrested, began a violent struggle with the officers.

She ended up on the floor of High Street in Chard and began to kick out and punch the officers, and when they attempted to handcuff her she leant forward and bit one of them on the hand.

Leskiewicz, 27, of Howards Row, admitted attacking a police constable on High Street, Chard, on December 2 when she appeared before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said officers were on duty in Chard town centre when they saw a man talking to his wife at 2am when he had bail conditions to keep away from her due to a previous incident.

They decided to arrest the man for breaching his bail conditions but Leskiewicz then became upset and climbed into the rear of the police van and refused to leave saying she would travel with her husband.

She said: “She ignored repeated requests to get out of the van and became verbally abusive towards the police and was then warned she would be arrested. Her behaviour continued and she became aware her husband had been placed into another vehicle and she became argumentative and aggressive and got out of the van and had to be restrained.”

She began struggling and kicking the police van and while trying to fight the officers they ended up on the floor.

She continued to struggle and kicked out and tried to punch the officers and they could see she was extremely intoxicated.

“The violence continued as they were attempting to handcuff her and as one of the officers assisted her to stand she leant forward and bit him on the hand,” said Miss Lenanton.

The defendant was then placed in limb restraints and continued to thrash around.

In mitigation, solicitor Ray Peters said his client was found in the company of her estranged husband who was under bail conditions not to contact her, but during a night out in Chard she saw him as she was leaving the Phoenix Hotel.

“She approached him and nothing untoward occurred, but the police arrived and arrested him for breaching his bail conditions and she took umbrage at that,” he said.

He added that she behaved in an extremely inappropriate way and does not dispute any of the offences, and when she was arrested and formally charged she said she was sorry and said she had been stupid.

The magistrates sentenced Leskiewicz to a 12-week curfew order where she must remain at her home between 7pm and 7am daily while fitted with an electronic tag.

She was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the police constable along with £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.