A LOCAL woman who kneed a police officer in the groin has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Samantha Morrison (19), with an address at Iverna Close, Belfast appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Wednesday for sentencing on a single charge of assault on police.
On August 19, 2020 police received a report of a domestic incident. While attending the scene they encountered Morrison, and in the course of their interaction with her she kneed the officer in the groin area, causing him pain in the groin and abdomen.
Morrison was arrested, and in her interview she said she had done it because she was angry.
Defence barrister Stefan Rafferty said Morrison, who was in breach of a probation order from a previous offence, had been doing well until March this year when she went through a traumatic relationship breakdown, which had left her with no where to live.
“Life is far from straightforward for her,” he said, adding Morrison had been engaging with probation services since moving to Belfast.
Noting Morrison, who was visibly upset in court, had also gone through a personally traumatic experience earlier in the year.
District Judge Steven Keown said it was unfortunate Morrison had not been able to avail of the support of probation services, and said he wanted to “leave something hanging over her head” so she could “try to move on.”
Judge Keown sentenced Morrison to three months in prison suspended for 12 months.
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