Hyralisa Almonte, 32, of Sous Les Hougues, Vale, admitted behaving in a disorderly manner at Upper St Jacques, St Peter Port, when she appeared in the Magistrate’s Court.
The court heard how police officers were called to the area of Courtil St Jacques at 4.10am to arrest the defendant following a complaint. She was located near St Jacques Tavern. When officers approached and went to apply handcuffs, she told them not to do it as she had sustained an injury to her hand. She continued to shout and swear despite being told to keep the noise down. She said that somebody had taken her mobile phone, though she later retracted that statement.
When told she was being taken to the Police Station she continued to remonstrate about her hand. She screamed when put in the police van which led to a neighbour opening their window and congratulating officers for what they were doing. Her abuse continued for a while at the police station.
In interview, she said she had been very angry and upset at what had happened. She had suffered nerve damage to her hand in the past and this caused her pain when the joint was bent. She had other matters on her record.
Defending, Advocate Samuel Steel said his client had been intoxicated and distressed when police found her and the pain to her hand had only increased her panic. She had just been the victim of violent domestic assault, he said.
She had long-standing emotional and vulnerability issues and had previously used alcohol as a coping mechanism. This had been a night of crisis and not part of a pattern of contempt for the law.
Judge Gary Perry said that while this might have been relatively low-level offending it still upset people.
Shouting and swearing in the street over the loss of a mobile phone forced police to use a disproportionate amount of resources to what she had deserved. He ordered her to perform 100 hours of community service as a direct alternative to six weeks in prison.