A Clarbeston Road woman ‘flipped out’ and damaged a police station after been woken by ‘mob-handed’ officers.

Karen Marie Coombes, of Market Place, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and violent behaviour at a police station when she appeared at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Wednesday, April 17.

A charge of assaulting an emergency worker was withdrawn by the court.

Dennis Davies, prosecuting, said Coombes, 29, was initially calm when taken to Haverfordwest police station in relation to another matter on March 30.

“Without any warning at all she kicked the door and grabbed a metal height chart which was glued to a wall.

“She started swinging it around and the police feared that they could be struck.”

No officers were hit during the incident, but the chart caused a small amount of damage when it made contact with a wall.

Jonathan Webb, defending, said Coombes, who suffered from mental health issues and physical ailments, was in bed when police arrived ‘mob-handed’ at her home, and was ‘dead to the world’ having taken a prescribed sedative.

He told the court that it was police policy not to allow medication to be taken in front of them in these situations, and Coombes had been unable to take her morning prescription before going to the station.

Mr Webb said: “She is in a strange place without taking her medication and she flips out. As simple as that.”

The court heard that Coombes held up the height chart to keep the officers away from her before being jumped on and wrestled to the floor by police.

“She was dragged to a cell and they cut her clothes off her.”

Coombes was interviewed several hours later after seeing a nurse and doctor.

Mr Webb said: “It could quite easily have been dealt with differently.”

Magistrates imposed a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £105 in costs and a surcharge.