Woman spared jail after assaulting officer during Southport riots
A judge said there were "exceptional mitigations" in her case
A woman who assaulted a police officer during riots in Southport has been given a suspended prison sentence after spending weeks in custody.
Ellie Clarke, 21, cried as she was spared jail due to "exceptional mitigation".
She was given a 20-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, for her part in disorder which broke out outside a mosque in the Merseyside seaside town on July 30, the day after three girls were killed in a stabbing at a dance class in the resort.
Sentencing her at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC said: "The footage shows you, for a time, standing amongst the crowd of people behaving like animals, shouting vile abuse at police officers and directing appalling racist chants at the nearby mosque."
He said Clarke had already paid a "significant price" for what she did that night, having been remanded in custody for seven weeks.
"You understand how seriously your behaviour is to be regarded, as do others who have been dealt with by this court," he said.
The defendant, wearing a pink cardigan, wiped her eyes with a tissue after she was sentenced.
The judge said around 70 people had been dealt with by the court for their roles in the disorder and only one other defendant had not been given an immediate prison sentence.
Clarke pleaded guilty at Liverpool Magistrates' Court to violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker and a racially aggravated public disorder offence.
She was seen to strike an officer's riot shield, an earlier hearing was told.
Daniel Travers, defending, said a pre-sentence report and psychiatric report had been prepared and Clarke had written a letter to the judge which showed "genuine remorse".
He said: "Clearly, this is a young lady who has on numerous occasions in her relatively short life suffered traumatic events and has clearly got a number of issues that she needs to resolve."
Judge Menary said the reports enabled him to take an "otherwise exceptional case".
He added: "This case must not be reported as simply you being a female and not going to prison.
"I promise you this, you would have gone to prison but for the very substantial personal mitigation available to you.
"It is only because of the exceptional mitigation that is present in this case."
He added: "Suffice to say there is a very real, demonstrable background of mental illness of one form or another which has caused you real struggles and with which you are currently dealing."
Clarke, of Chestnut Street, Southport, was ordered to carry out 40 days of rehabilitation activity and 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.