Woman who kicked two police officers jailed

Lianne McKee was sentenced for a string of offences over several months on Friday

A woman who kicked two police officers in the chest in separate incidents and was caught carrying a knife in public has been jailed for two years and six months.

Lianne McKee, 45, committed a series of offences including the two assaults on police, array and being drunk and disorderly between July and February.

Douglas Courthouse heard the 45-year-old was already subject to a suspended sentences when the offending took place.

Sentencing McKee, Deemster Graeme Cook said the assaults on the officers had been "appalling".

The court heard McKee had been drinking at the Heron public house in Anagh Coar on July 30 McKee before leaving to go home.

A short time later she returned and started "annoying" other customers by taking their drinks and consuming them herself.

After refusing to leave she made her way behind the bar, where she deliberately spilt drinks and damaged glasses, and the manager suffered a cut to the arm while trying to remove her, the court was told.

On 14 September police were called to reports of a fight between two women in School Road in Onchan.

The court heard McKee obstructed the officers and kicked one in the sternum while they attempted to arrest the pair.

'Rock bottom'

She was arrested again on 26 December after being caught with a 4in (10cm) kitchen knife when police stopped and searched her.

The court heard she kicked another police officer in the chest after managing to slip out of her handcuffs on 6 February as she was arrested for being drunk in a public place.

Prosecutors said neither of the assaults on the officers caused serious injuries.

She pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer, affray, and being in possession of a bladed article.

McKee's defence advocate said she accepted the incidents were wrong but she had been in a "toxic" relationship at the time.

He said that during her time in prison on remand she had started to take actions to turn her life around after "reaching rock bottom".

Sentencing her on Friday, Deemster Cook said noted her work with the probation services in the prison and he hoped a further period in custody would support that.

McKee has also been made subject to a licensing ban for two years.