A 54-year-old Painswick woman kicked a casualty consultant in the chest as the doctor was removing her clothing to administer an injection, a court was told yesterday.

Zena Aylward of Pullens road, Painswick, had been arrested by police after allegedly spitting at an officer who was responding to her making a suicide threat at home on September 6 last year, Gloucester crown court heard.

On arrival at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital A&E Aylward was in a distressed and confused state and Dr Tanya de Wermarn concluded that she was not mentally fit to give consent for treatment, said prosecutor Alex Daymond.

"The doctor feared she was a risk to others and herself and wanted to give her an injection to calm her down. She felt the defendant was not engaging with her at all," he said.

"A degree of physical force was used to administer the injection. As staff and the doctor attempted to remove her clothing she kicked out. Her foot contacted with the doctor's chest, knocking her back. The doctor suffered soreness and discomfort to the chest.

The defendant was arrested for that offence.

Aylward pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker, Dr De Weymarn, but denied assaulting Sgt Ben D'Arcy at her home earlier by spitting at him. Her pleas were accepted by the prosecutor, who said CCTV of the alleged spitting at Aylward's home did not clearly show any spittle leaving her mouth although she did make a spitting action.

Mr Daymond said the incidents all arose from Aylward calling NHS 911 that night threatening to commit suicide.

One of the three officers who attended had been assaulted once before by Aylward , said Mr Daymond.

"She was initially apologetic about what she had done. But her behaviour changed and she became more aggressive and upset," he said.

"They feared she may have taken an overdose and they told her an ambulance was en route and she would be taken to hospital.

"PC Chandler then observed what she believed was the defendant spitting at Sgt D'Arcy and the defendant was arrested. She said she had only pretended to spit."

Aylward had four previous criminal convictions for 13 offences.

Matthew Harbinson, defending, said Aylward had been out of trouble from 1985 to 2018 but then had a 'downturn' in her mental health.

Aylward herself told the court: "Some months before this incident, and since it happened, I have been attending AA and NA meetings and I have not used alcohol or abused prescription medication since that date. I continue to go to meetings, although at the moment, obviously, they are online."

Judge Ian Lawrie QC deferred sentence on her for three months, to August 25, and told her if she continues to address her difficulties and stay out of further trouble he will not pass a jail term.

She was to be commended, he said, for her recent tackling of her difficulties.