A WOMAN who kicked a police detention officer in the stomach had been “lashing out” but didn’t intend to kick anyone, magistrates have heard.

Kelly Donna O’Brien, 45, pleaded guilty to assaulting a designated officer at Cardigan Police Station on 27 October after she was arrested.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, said O’Brien had been arrested to prevent a breach of the peace after an incident at her friend’s home, but said that officers had needed to strip O’Brien.

While detention officer Tania Jones tried to cover O’Brien with a blanket, O’Brien became abusive and aggressive and was shouting and abusing police officers.

She then started kicking out and made contact with Ms Jones’s stomach.

O’Brien, of 32 Coronation Road in Carmarthen, was then seen to grab the blanket and put it into the toilet before stamping on it.

Ms Tench said one police officer had described O’Brien’s behaviour as the “worst he’d seen in 29 years”.

Defence solicitor Alison Mathias said O’Brien wanted to apologise for her behaviour, and said she had been drinking and recalled very little of the incident.

She said O’Brien had become agitated that she was being stripped with male officers present and that she had started lashing out, but had not meant to kick anybody.

Ms Mathias said O’Brien admitted she had been reckless and had caught Ms Jones in the stomach and was “horrified” by what had happened.

O’Brien was fined £100 and will pay compensation of £100 to Ms Jones as well as costs of £115.