A WOMAN who became “unbelievably” aggressive when she was arrested assaulted four police officers and a nurse.

Blackburn magistrates heard how Laura Cox kicked and spat at police officers and tried to bite them.

And when a nurse looked into her cell at the police station she threw water into her face through the hatch.

Cox, 33, of Midland Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assaulting PCs Amy Noakes, Jodi Yates, Carol Lushman and Charla Devereux and nurse Ainslie Ellison. She was committed in custody to Burnley Crown Court to be sentenced after District Judge Joanne Hirst ruled her powers of punishment were not sufficient.

“If it had been just two officers I would be looking at the top end of my powers but there were four officers and a nurse,” said District Judge Hirst.

“It is difficult to imagine a more inflammatory situation than you assaulting four police officers by kicking and spitting at them and then throwing water at a nurse. All these people are serving the public at a time of a pandemic and there was clearly the fear of Covid-19.”

Peter Bardsley, prosecuting, said officers were called to an address in Oswaldtwistle on Sunday at 2.20 pm. The man who lived at the address told an officer to get Cox out of his house because she was “nuts.”

“Officers offered to take her home and she was taken to a police van,” said Mr Bardsley. “She became agitated and tried to get out and when she was told to stay in the van she kicked an officer and swung out with her arm.”

Other officers became involved and Cox was pepper sprayed before being handcuffed.

It took five officers to put her in leg restraints.

Mr Bardsley said throughout the incident, which continued at the police station, Cox was spitting at the officers and trying to bite them.

One officer described Cox as extremely violent and the incident as horrific. Another said Cox was the most violent individual she had ever dealt with.

The court was told Cox was subject to a suspended prison sentence imposed in January for an assault on a police officer.

Gareth Price, defending, said his client was a lady who couldn’t cope with change and emotions get the better of her. He said her relationship had broken down and he had moved out and into the address in Oswaldwistle where the incident started.

“She didn’t take that well and relapsed into alcohol abuse,” said Mr Price.

“She visited on Sunday to see if there was any chance of a reconciliation and they took to drinking together.”

Mr Price said initially Cox had been compliant but then became concerned about belongings she had left in the house.

“She herself has described her behaviour after that as disgusting.

“What she does say is that to the best of her knowledge she has no transmittable diseases and no Covid-19 symptoms.”