A woman unleashed a savage assault on police officers, gouging one officer’s face with her long acrylic nails before sinking her teeth into an officer’s leg.
Wild Scene at 2am in Sandwich, Kent
Jessica Lawson, 34, erupted into violence when cops arrived at her home after a domestic dispute call. The early morning chaos unfolded at 2am on February 4, while Lawson was drunk and arguing with her partner. Living with four children, including a six-month-old baby, and her mother, Lawson refused police orders to leave the house. Instead, her partner was told to leave with the baby. When he handed back the infant, tensions exploded.
“He wouldn’t hand the baby back, and she was concerned she would be assaulted while he was holding the baby,” said prosecutor Lucie Fish during Lawson’s April 10 court hearing.
Fury Unleashed: Biting, Kicking and Gouging
As things escalated, Lawson “went mad” and attacked officers. Prosecutor Fish described how Lawson put one hand on a female officer’s neck, grabbed her face, and viciously gouged her skin with her sharp fake nails. Despite being pushed away, Lawson kept kicking and lashing out. While being handcuffed, she even tried to bite the officers’ arms. Then she slipped out of the cuffs, screaming, and bit one officer on the leg. The female officer suffered nasty cuts with blood streaming down her face. She told the court, “Lawson took a strong dislike to me.”
Judge Hands Down Community Order, Angry Explanation From Defence
Lawson, who was drunk during the attack and had her children present, was sentenced to 12 months on a community order. She must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £100 compensation to each officer at £20 monthly instalments. Defence lawyer Simon Pettican painted Lawson as a mother pushed to breaking point by an abusive relationship.
“She just lost it over fears for her baby. The police bore the brunt of the violence,” Pettican said. “The man was very dangerous and abusive—during the relationship, she suffered a fractured cheek. She was provoked and acted out of fear for her child.”
Lawson, now single and on medication for depression, reportedly has no issues with drugs or alcohol beyond that night.
