A group of four Cheshire women who were drinking gin and wine in Cheshire beat up a policeman. However, they were not sentenced to prison.
Bethany Bennett was 24, Courtney Hardy was 25, Njeri Swanston was 24, and Millie Curley were 21, when a woman from the police force grabbed her hair, pulled it to the ground, and then repeatedly hit over the head.
Constable Dowse was the policewoman who had been called for a disturbance at which some men were fighting outside Wilmslow’s Revolution bar on Wilmslow at 3:15 AM on July 31.
She was then pushed and attacked by three drunken women, who told her to get home.
Swanston kicked a second policeman on the shin when he requested that she get on with his job. He found her sitting on a grass verge.
The magistrates branded four women who beat up an officer in Cheshire after they had consumed gin, wine, and cocktails, but they did not go to jail. Pictured: Bethany Bennett
Courtney Hardy was 24 years old, Bethany Bennett was 21 and Millie Curley 21, had been arrested by Njeri Swanston (pictured), 25.
The policewoman suffered bruising to her hip, thigh, knee and back.
A small amount of swelling was found on her forehead, and there was a slight bruise under the left eye.
Due to how many times she had been struck while on the ground, it made her feel dizzy and nauseated.
PC Dowse released a statement saying that she had not experienced an assault similar to this in her life and was initially hesitant to return to work following it.
“The results have left me feeling down and emotionally damaged. My physical attack continued to shock me.
“I spoke to occupational health about the impact of the incident on my mental and physical health.
“I’ve had dreams in which I was alone, and I have been at duty on my own.”
‘It is a new mom, my priorities changed after returning to work. It has made me feel so vulnerable that I no longer feel capable of fulfilling my duties.
“I am a child, and my little boy has seen my bruises on my legs. They are not understood by my child.
“I don’t want my children to think I am emotional.” The quality of my daily life has significantly decreased.
Policewoman was called after a disturbance at the Revolution bar in Wilmslow, where a group had been fighting on July 31st. Pictured: Njeri Swanston
She was then jostled by the three drunken women and attacked as she said to them, “Go home!” Pictured: Millie Curley
Stockport Magistrates’ Court heard that Bennett, a school worker, Hardy trainee nurse, Swanston hairdresser, and Curley, a baker, admitted to assaulting police, but they were released.
All have criminal convictions. Swanston was fined £300 and ordered to pay £117 in costs and Curley was fined £200 with £117 costs.
Bennett was ordered to abide by a 10 week curfew from 7pm to 7am and pay PC Dowse £150 compensation plus £45 costs.
Hardy was conditionally discharged for 18 months and told to pay £107 in costs.
Bennett was a former pupil of the £14,000-a-year Alderley Edge School for Girls and Hardy lives a few doors from her in Wilmslow. Both Swanston and Curley are from Handforth.
After the ladies had drunk gin and wine during an evening out celebrating the release of lockdown, the incident took place in an elite neighbourhood that is popular with footballers.
Stockport Magistrates’ Court – School worker Bennett (pictured), trainee nursing nurse Hardy, Swanston, Curley, and Swanston, a hairdresser, admitted assault on the police. However, Curley walked away unscathed
Peter Conroy, the Prosecutor said that officers came to disperse people and four of them were there.
“There was a large crowd in the street. There was also an altercation. PC Dowse stated that the women kept on coming and blocking her path and her colleagues.
“One of Miss Bennett’s female accomplices was making matters worse. She got in her face, shouted abuse and was shouting at her.
Miss Bennett moved past an officer, who forced her to move away. The defendant pushed her again, and the officer pulled her arm so she was arrested.
‘At this, the defendant grabbed hold of the officer’s body armour and then grabbed her hair.
“PC Dowse” shares her experience of feeling her hair being ripped off her scalp, and the burning sensation she experienced.
All have criminal convictions. Swanston was fined £300 and ordered to pay £117 in costs and Curley was fined £200 with £117 costs. Pictured: Courtney Hardy
“She fell on the ground after being struck in the forehead. The woman claimed that she had fallen to the floor, and was then struck repeatedly. As a result she suffered from bruising.
Bennett is the most guilty as she grabbed Bennett by the hair and pulled the officer to the floor. But we don’t know if Bennett actually hit the officer.
Miss Swanston tried to stop friends being handled by police.
“She shouted and cursed at police officers. Although a PC Wood was hit on the leg with her hand, he sustained no injuries.
Miss Curley also tried to stop her friends being treated.
“She was aggressive towards PC Dowse and made an attempt to push an officer off her.
Miss Hardy is not guilty and cannot be seen trying intervene. Although she is obstructionist, it’s not the same as other.
Miss Bennett said that she made little comment during the interview with police. Miss Curley provided an explanation and stated that she wanted to help her friend move away.
She claimed she had been pepper-sprayed, and that she was placed in a van by the police. Although she didn’t recall how many drinks, it was around six double gins as well as the same amount of shots.
Bennett was ordered to abide by a 10 week curfew from 7pm to 7am and pay PC Dowse £150 compensation plus £45 costs. Pictured: Njeri Swanston
‘She described herself as being 7/10 drunk. It was hard for her to recall obstructing the constable.
Miss Hardy apologized and stated that she was being pushed. The situation was described as traumatic.
“She stated that she spent some time in a pub before moving to Wilmslow. The group consisted of six members.
“She stated that she enjoyed the evening and that there weren’t any arguments. She claimed she tried to diffuse the situation. She said she didn’t think that she did anything wrong.
‘Miss Swanston admitted being 6/10 drunk. According to her, one of her close friends was present on the floor while the police grabbed everyone.
She said that it was blurred and claimed she felt pepper-sprayed in her eyes as a result. She admitted to telling an officer to ‘f*** off’.
In mitigation for Bennett, defence lawyer James Riley said: ‘I would say that she does not play a leading role in this group attack. She’s a wallflower.
Hardy was conditionally discharged for 18 months and told to pay £107 in costs. Pictured: Millie Curley
Riley said that she works at a school nearby and that this could affect her employment. She also needs to have DBS checks.
It was short-lived and she will be very disappointed. She’s a single parent to a three-year old child. She ought to have just left.
Julian Farley told Hardy that she works at a GP Practice, and is studying to be a nurse. She is scheduled to attend a meeting that will determine her future. While she hopes to keep her job, it is possible that she might not.
Simon Morton stated that Swanston was sitting on the kerb. PC Wood bent down and extended his arm. He said ‘do you want to leave love?’
‘He puts his arm on her forearm and she said: ‘get off me’ and swings her arm around and it makes contact with the officers shin. She was not injured and handcuffed.
For Curley, Shirley Kelly said: ‘My client accepts she was abusive, aggressive and rude to the officers but PC Dowse says to members of the public to ‘f*** off home’.
“What she said was not worse than what the officer stated.”
Neil Brettell, chairman of the bench, sentenced them. He said to them, “All of them have been described intelligently and caring members in society. Yet, on this night in which you ingested alcohol, you became a rabbled mot.
“Instead of complying with the request to you to leave the scene and let the police handle the situation,” you became part of it.