A 20-year-old supermarket worker assaulted a police officer with her “swinging arms” after stepping in to help a relative involved in a fight, a court heard.


It was argued by her solicitor that she would not have been taken to court at all if she had assaulted an ordinary member of the public.


Lydia Owen, of Pool Road, Newtown, admitted assaulting an emergency worker when she appeared at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.


Ceri Ellis-Jones, prosecuting, told the court that the assault took place when PC M Hughes was breaking up a fight with other officers outside the Elephant and Castle at 3.40am on Monday, May 6.


She was restraining a man and then heard a female screaming “get the **** off him”, the court heard.
Owen was “swinging her arms around” and scratched the officer on her neck, the prosecution said.


Ms Ellis-Jones said that the charge had been made “on the community impact that these incidents have on officers”.


A photograph of the officer’s injury was shown to the court by Ms Ellis-Jones.


Michael Davies, defending, said that Owen had no previous convictions or even cautions.


He said that Owen was not involved in the fight but that her relative was, magistrates heard.


A charge was initially brought against her relative but there was no conviction, Mr Davies said.


“She has been the one who gets a conviction for the first time in her life,” he said.


Her relative “was being very difficult for the police to constrain” and she decided to intervene, magistrates heard.


Owen was “extremely sorry” for what she did, Mr Davies said.


“The reality of the situation is that if she assaulted any one of us she would have just been cautioned.”
Mr Davies said it was “unfortunate” that she had been charged.


Magistrates fined Owen £80, taking into account her early guilty plea. She was also ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the police officer. Together with victim surcharge and court costs, she will pay a total of £290.