‘MINDLESS violence’ – a Rugby woman has been jailed for attacking two fast-food restaurant workers and four police officers.
Joanna Davies, 32, of Bilton Road, was sentenced at Coventry Magistrates Court to two charges of common assault, one charge of criminal damage, and an additional four charges of common assault against a police officer.
She has been sentenced to 32 weeks in prison and ordered to pay compensation of £200.
At around 8:30pm on March 21, police were called to a fast-food restaurant at Junction 1 Retail Park, where two members of staff had been assaulted.
One of the staff, who had been on her break, had been approached by Davies, who called her ‘beautiful’ and attempted to hug her.
Davies stole the staff member’s hat and, when the employee asked to be left alone, shoved her up against the wall.
When Davies and the people with her were asked to leave, she became aggressive and abusive towards another employee and punched him in the face.
Davies was removed by one of her friends.
Officers found Davies in a second fast-food restaurant over the road, where she immediately became hostile towards them.
She resisted arrest, repeatedly screaming ‘warrant’ and threatening to spit at officers if they didn’t gag her.
Davies attempted to grab and claw one officer, and punched, scratched, and kicked a second officer, before spitting in his face as she was being restrained to the floor.
The two officers called for backup, and two more officers arrived to help – one of whom Davies bit on the arm while being restrained.
She was taken from the premises in a spit hood and put into a police van.
On the way to custody, Davies repeatedly hit her head against the roof of the van cage, damaging the Perspex lining around the light.
This caused a diversion to hospital where, while in the waiting room for A&E, Davies squared up to officers and kicked the fourth officer in the thigh.
Sgt Shelley Morris of the East Warwickshire Patrol Investigations Unit said: “Davies randomly decided to grab a young restaurant worker and pin her against a window, before punching another employee in the face.
“As if that wasn’t already too much, she then goes on to assault four police officers and break the roof of our van with her head.
“No officer – no person at all, in fact – should have to put up with the mindless violence that Davies enacted.
“We’re happy that she’s away for 32 weeks, and we’re hoping that will be enough time for her to realise the harm she’s causing with her behaviour.”
