A woman who attacked and injured two police officers with a hunting knife after they attended her Carlisle flat to offer help has been given a 56-month prison sentence.
The PCs went to Hannah Smaile’s Lister Court home at 9.50am on May 28 this year, responding to a report of an alleged assault against her.
The female officer had visited that address the day before and discussed 26-year-old Smaile’s mental health problems during a welfare check.
Smaile had been suffering from psychosis, was not taking prescribed medication and had consumed illegal drug cannabis.
As the male officer searched the flat and rang a mental health crisis team about a scheduled appointment the previous day, his colleague spoke with initially calm Smaile.
She paced around and answering questions before things completely escalated, Carlisle Crown Court heard today.
“The next thing I know she’s running at me with a knife. I think I just screamed and tried to push her off,” the female officer said. “I felt pain across my face and I could feel blood dripping down.”
The male officer tried to grab Smaile, who then tried to stab him as the female officer kept hold of Smaile and raised the alarm.
She used incapacitant spray on Smaile, who kept hold of the knife — saying “I will drop it when you call someone” — before being restrained and barricaded in a bedroom by the male officer.
He later said: “Throughout, Hannah was making stabbing motions and I’m certain she was trying to stab me.”
Both officers received hospital treatment for injuries. Two weeks before her wedding day, PC Wilson suffered a deep cut across her nose which required stitches and left her scarred.
Smaile — a woman without previous convictions — was initially charged with attempted murder.
But, as medical evidence was considered, she later admitted alternative lesser charges of wounding the female officer with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and assaulting the male officer, causing actual bodily harm.
Smaile, of Lister Court, further admitted threatening both officers with a bladed article.
As Smaile was sentenced, prosecutor Tim Evans said of the two PCs: “If each had not provided assistance to the other, the injuries each sustained could have been much worse.
“Both officers talk of the enormous gratitude they have for the actions of each other. Both feared, but for the actions of their colleague, they could have been severely injured or killed.”
In impact statements, the officers — present in court with family members — described being haunted by an incident that could have had a more grave outcome.
Defence lawyer Mark Shepherd, mitigating, said Smaile’s mental health issues had led her to act irrationally and violently.
He added: “She wishes to profoundly apologise to the officers for the harm that she caused; for the fear that she has caused as well.”
Judge Nicholas Barker ruled that Smaile must spend at least two-thirds of the 56-month jail term in custody, and serve an extended two-year licence period.
He told Smaile: “The knife that was used against the two police officers…is a fearsome object and could easily have caused significantly worse injuries than it did. It is fortunate that it did not do so.”
Judge Barker concluded that the two PCs should be formally commended for their bravery, saying: “Both officers have acted, in my judgement, in an impressive and dignified way.”
