A WOMAN who hit a police officer at York Magistrates Court has been jailed for four months.

Court staff had to call in police twice in five days to deal with Michelle Glenys Jackson's alcohol-fuelled behaviour, justices heard.

She had only been released from prison a short time earlier for assaulting two police officers and criminal damage.

In October 1999, she was convicted of interrupting court proceedings.

Jackson, 27, who plans to live in Rowntree Avenue, Clifton, after her release asked magistrates to jail her.

She pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly at York Magistrates Court on August 25, assaulting a police officer with intent to resist arrest at York Magistrates Court on August 30 and admitted breaching the peace on August 30.

She was jailed for four months concurrently with eight days remaining of her previous sentence and bound over to keep the peace for 12 months in the sum of £50.

Graham Sylvester, prosecuting, said Jackson went to a pub before attending court on August 30 to answer the drunk and disorderly charge.

While waiting for her case to be called on she stood on a chair in the court corridor shouting.

Magistrates heard that when police arrived, Jackson had to be restrained and ended up on the floor. In the struggle, one of the officers was assaulted.

The policewoman was not injured.

For Jackson, John Howard said she came to York Women's Refuge in April 1999 from Manchester to escape her violent husband.

Up to then she had stayed out of trouble for years.

But for the last 15 or 16 months, she had repeatedly committed crimes while in drink.

Since being remanded in prison last week (aug 31) she had started medical treatment for her alcohol problem and a York man had give her the chance of a permanent home for the first time in a "very long time".