Narborough woman Tara Berry in King’s Lynn court after assaulting police
A woman assaulted an emergency worker after her partner falsely convinced them that she was an intruder in her own home.
Police attempted to arrest Tara Berry, 33, on October 22 on suspicion of another offence, but she refused to be placed in the officers’ vehicle.
One constable tried to restrain her, but Berry kicked out at him before baring her teeth in such a way that the officer said: “Don’t f**king bite me.”
However, Berry said she had been attempting to bite herself, and referred to the officer as a “sp**tic c**t”.
She was eventually restrained and taken into custody, with the officer suffering no lasting injuries.
Berry, of Meadow Close in Narborough, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where she pleaded guilty to common assault of an emergency worker.
In mitigation, solicitor Lisa Robinson said Berry had lived a “very normal life” prior to the shock death of her husband, which she “didn’t cope very well with”.
“Her mental health just sank,” Ms Robinson said.
She told the court that Berry sometimes takes to biting herself as a form of self-harm, which is why it appeared she was attempting to bite the police officer during her arrest on October 22.
On that day, Ms Robinson said, Berry had been in her home with her partner, who had “beaten her” excessively prior to the police arriving.
When officers did arrive at the scene, that man proceeded to tell them it was his house and not Berry’s. They therefore thought she was “aggressor” in the scenario.
“She says herself, ‘If I had just been calm and explained my situation, everything would have been different,” Ms Robinson said.
“In despair, she does try and bite herself, and may have made contact with the officer.”
Magistrates took into account that there was no “breakage of the skin” following the assault, and so did not order Berry to pay any compensation to the constable.
However, she was fined £120 and will pay a £48 victim surcharge.