Bailed refused for woman accused of kicking police woman eight times in the head and face

Derry Magistrate's Court heard today how a woman is alleged to have kicked a police woman eight times in the head and face leaving her bleeding and concussed. 

Josie McCaughey (33) of Beraghvale in Derry was arrested on February 19 after calling police on several occasions to hand herself in for breaching her bail conditions, namely that she was not to be intoxicated.

When police arrived, McCaughey became violent towards them and was said to have spat in the mouth of an officer and had to be restrained. 

A police officer told the court that while in a police vehicle, she managed to slip out of handcuffs and began spitting at officers again.

He said McCaughey then kicked an officer in the head and face around eight times, causing a laceration that had to be glued shut.

The officer also had a concussion, bruising and whiplash from the attack and McCaughey was charged with assaulting police, criminal damage to a police vehicle, assaulting police causing actual bodily harm and attempted grievious bodily harm to an officer.

McCaughey was on bail for assaulting her partner, reportedly knocking him unconscious.

Her bail conditions for this charge included no contact with the injured party and not to be intoxicated, both of which she was in breach of when she was arrested.

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Police objected to bail as McCaughey has 76 previous convictions, including twenty for violent crimes. She also has seven breaches of bail and police say she is a clear risk to the public and at risk of reoffending.

District Judge Barney McElhom said he was not going to waste time on McCaughey and added she had been given a 'final warning' when she appeared before him in December last year and refused bail, adding that she had 'shown herself unable' to abide by bail conditions.

She will appear again on March 10.