Kiara McGrath, 23, of Le Mont Marche Estate, Forest, admitted assaulting a police officer in the due execution of her duties, and behaving in a disorderly manner.
The court was told how the incident occurred at 2.45am one night in October.
Police officers became aware of the defendant having a verbal altercation with a male. She refused to calm down and to stop swearing, even after being told that she risked arrest.
When officers were taking her to the rear of a police van to be searched, and one of them put her hand on the defendant’s wrist, McGrath bit it.
The next day in interview she said her recollection of the night had been poor due to her alcohol intake.
She recalled the officers speaking to her and became extremely remorseful when shown footage from the officer’s body worn camera.
She said she wanted to apologise to the officer in person.
She had matters on her record but these were her first convictions.
Defending, Advocate Candy Fletcher said her client had been working that night and had responded to a request from a friend to go out afterwards. She had used alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with a family situation and had been involved in disagreements with the male in question before. Her bite had not broken the officer’s skin.
Assistant Judge Russell Finch said he accepted that the defendant had experienced a hard life, but it was bad enough for police officers to be bad-mouthed in this way without being assaulted as well.
Biting was a particularly unpleasant offence.
Assaults on front line members of the emergency services in the due execution of their duties would not tolerated, he said. They deserved the full protection of the courts.
McGrath was jailed for 28 days for the assault, with seven days concurrent for the disorderly behaviour. She must also pay £100 in compensation to the officer she bit.