Model who attacked female police officer in drunken rage spared jail

A model has been sentenced for attacking a female police officer in a drunken rage.

Armani Whitehouse, 24, kicked out and swore at the officer when she refused to leave a property.

Stockport Magistrates' Court heard how police were called to an address in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, around 7.10pm on August 25, this year.

Ms Heather Lloyd, prosecuting, said Whitehouse had been 'asked to leave the property on a number of occasions' by her sister but had 'refused to do so'.

When officers arrived they could see she was 'intoxicated' and had 'a flushed appearance'.

Whitehouse then 'latched on' to her ex-partner, who was also at the property, as he lay on a bed and told them she wouldn't be leaving.

When a female PC approached Whitehouse, Ms Lloyd said, she kicked out at her four times and told her: 'F*** off.'

Whitehouse also reached for the face of the officer, who was forced to use pepper spray, but she continued to kick-out out at her.

Officers eventually managed to handcuff Whitehouse, but only after she slipped her hand through one pair of handcuffs, Ms Lloyd said.

The female officer was left with bruises to her forearm and elbow as a result of the incident and in a victim impact she said it was not the first time she had been assaulted while on duty.

But she said she 'didn't come to work t o get assaulted' adding: 'I have serious concerns what she [Whitehouse] would do to a member of the pubic who would not be equipped to protect themselves.'

Whitehouse pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting an emergency worker at a hearing in September.

Magistrates heard she had one previous conviction in 2015 and Chris Squibbs, defending, described the attack as 'completely out of character'.

He said Whitehouse had mental health issues and there were 'circumstances that led up to the commissioning of the offence'.

Mr Squibbs said she had been the victim of domestic abuse, both from a former parter and an ex-boyfriend, and she and her mother had both been forced to flee from an address in the Midlands.

Magistrates handed Whitehouse, of Manchester, a 12-month community order and ordered her to carry out 15 rehabilitation days.

She was also told to pay £85 costs, a £114 victim surcharge and £50 compensation.

Whitehouse appeared in court in September when she was cleared of wrongdoing after claiming she was gaslighted by her former-boyfriend into admitting a speeding charge.

She initially confessed to being behind the wheel of a Seat Altea that was clocked driving at 62mph in a 50mph zone on the M62 near Liverpool in January.

Whitehouse failed to attend a speed awareness course and when she appeared before magistrates she told them that she was not actually arriving the car, which was registered in the name of her unnamed ex.

During an emotional and tearful courtroom plea to reopen the case, she said she had 'mental health issues' and had been 'coerced' to name herself as the driver.

She said she only took the blame because her ex-boyfriend 'made her believe' she was driving at the time.

Magistrates agreed to reopen the case and dismissed the charge against her.