A drunken Newtown woman who grabbed a police officer by the throat while "on a bender" has been given a 16 month prison sentence.

Samantha Watkins, aged 34 and of no fixed abode, had pleaded guilty to assaulting the officer while in custody in Newtown on May 20.

At a sentencing hearing on Mold Crown Court held on Thursday, June 17, the court heard that Watkins had been arrested on the afternoon of May 20 while in Newtown and taken to custody at the town's police station on Park Lane.

While in custody the court heard that she became "verbally abusive", swearing at police officers and later at a custody nurse who came to assist her.

"She was uncooperative with the custody Sargeant and it was obvious to the officers on duty that she was drunk," prosecutor James Coutts told Mold Crown Court.

"She was unsteady on her feet, she was slurring her words and she smelt of intoxicants."

Officers took her to a cell and asked her to change into anti-harm clothing. When requested to change her clothing, the court heard that the defendant refused before attempting to run past officers and out of the cell.

"She then charged towards the door and Police Constable Richards, who was in the cell with her, told her to 'get back'. The defendant then pushed the officer to the chest, then sat back down on the bed.

"She got up again, charged at the officer and as she did so she grabbed the right side of the officers throat and tried to push her out of the way."

The court heard that PC Richards restrained the defendant, who then calmed down and slept for about 45 minutes.

When she woke up, she was "abusive and aggressive", telling the officers that she'd "kill them" and "headbutt them".

The court was told that the defendant had a previous conviction for assault on a police constable in 2018 and again in 2019, and was currently serving a 12 month suspended sentence for an unrelated matter, imposed in April.

Defending, Oliver King said his client had a problem with alcohol but, when sober, had a "bubbly and pleasant" personality.

He added that she had used alcohol as a "coping mechanism" after the death of her mother, and that she had recently been made homeless.

"That day she'd been on a bender, she was arrested for an unrelated matter and didn't like the idea of having her clothes removed by the police and she fought back, and she is sorry for that," he said.

Sentencing, Judge David Hale activated the suspended 12 month sentence already imposed but reduced it to 10 months on account of the defendant having completed a number of rehabilitation activities (RAR).

He imposed a further six months for the assault on the police officer making a total of 16 months, to be served consecutively at Styal women's prison, Cheshire.

"It's clear that [the defendant] is in no state to comply with any sort of community order - when she gets drunk, she gets drunk and she doesn't do it by halves," he told the court.

Addressing the defendant he added: "You will be getting help and they may be able to steer you in the right way so that you never do this again."