A woman has admitted intentionally wounding a police constable with a knife and assaulting a second officer during an incident in Carlisle.
Hannah Smaile, 25, originally faced charges which alleged that she attempted to murder two PCs who were called to her Lister Court home in the city at around 9.30am on May 28 this year.
At the time, Smaile was in possession of a knife. A female constable is said to have sustained a wound to her nose during the incident. Her male colleague was reported to have sustained cuts to his finger.
Both officers were treated in hospital following the incident, and then discharged.
Smaile appeared at Carlisle Crown Court this morning.
During a hearing in front of Judge Nicholas Barker, Smaile pleaded not guilty to two charges alleging attempted murder.
In response to that, two alternative charges were then put to the defendant.
Smaile pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously wounding the female PC with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm; and admitted assaulting the male officer, causing him actual bodily harm.
She had denied wounding the male officer with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.
Smaile’s lawyer, Mark Shepherd, had said to Judge Barker: “The position is that there is agreement between prosecution and defence as to the pleas to be entered.”
In court, Smaile admitted two additional charges, accepting she threatened both officers with a knife in a private place, the same Lister Court address.
Prosecutor Tim Evans said all pleas entered by Smaile were deemed acceptable, and had been carefully considered at the highest level of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Judge Nicholas Barker adjourned the case for preparation of a probation service pre-sentence report.
This will be taken into account at a sentencing hearing on December 15, when two psychiatric reports — previously been prepared by a doctor who had interviewed the defendant — will also be considered. So, too, will updated impact statements from the two police officers.
However, Judge Barker stressed that it was not a case where the court was considering a non-custodial outcome.
The reports would instead provide recommendations about the future risk posed by Smaile, and help the sentencing judge gain some understanding about her state and condition.
In the meantime Smaile remains remanded in custody.
