A County Durham woman has been fined for assaulting a police officer while they were carrying out their duties.

Chloe Weeks, 23, of The Avenue, Chester-le-Street, appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 25, 2024, where she admitted to assaulting a Police Constable (PC) on November 3, 2024. 

The assault, which was classed as an offence under Section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, was deemed serious due to the victim being an emergency worker.

The court applied an aggravated uplift to the sentence, increasing the penalty by 175 per cent of the starting point for similar offences.

Magistrates fined Weeks £140 and ordered her to pay £50 in compensation to the police officer.

Additional costs included £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service and a £56 victim surcharge.

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The court also granted an application for deductions to be made directly from Weeks’ benefits, with the lump sum to be paid in full within 14 days.

Prosecutor Paul Doney, representing CPS North East, emphasised the importance of protecting emergency workers from violence and ensuring appropriate penalties for those who assault them.

Defence solicitor Jaxon Taylor noted that Weeks had entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity, which the court took into account when determining the sentence.