Woman strangled doctor, racially abused nurse and spat at police

Billie-jo Pownall, from Golborne, also attacked a number of police officers over the course of a day, spitting at them during the first Covid lockdown and claiming she had the virus.

In addition, the 35-year-old said disgusting about the emergency workers including wishing their children were dead.

The mum was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, racially aggravated common assault and five counts of assaulting an emergency worker, and she was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, November 21.

Michael Whitty, prosecuting, explained how all the offences occurred on June 27, 2020, after Pownall presented herself at A&E at Warrington Hospital at around 1.45am.

She was complaining of knee pain caused by a road traffic collision a few days earlier and asked for pain relief and an x-ray, then began to complain after this was refused.

She was seen by a doctor who confirmed that no x-ray was needed, with the prosecution stating she took this news ‘not well’ and then became abusive towards him.

The defendant hurled vile expletive-laden abuse towards him, while a male staff nurse came to help and was greeted with disgusting racism and more swearing.

Pownall was asked to leave and security was called, but before they arrived she grabbed the doctor and dug her nails into him, drawing blood, and ran to a sink to get hot water to throw at him.

When the doctor tried to manoeuvre her towards the door, she grabbed hold of the neck of his tunic and ‘twisted to the point where he was struggling to breathe’.

Billie-jo Pownall was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court

When he told her she was strangling him she began to twist harder, and he was forced to hit her in the face to free himself, ‘such was his fear’.

This caused her to let go, ripping his tunic and ID lanyard in the process, and when the nurse tried to intervene, Pownall bit him, leaving a red mark.

Security arrived and led her outside, where police arrested her and took her to Runcorn Custody Suite, where she made unpleasant and racial comments to a police officer and ripped a pen from a holder, which officers believed she was planning to use as a weapon.

As officers were putting the defendant in handcuffs she spat at three of them, three months into the first Covid lockdown and after telling them she had symptoms of Covid-19, as well as scratching them, again drawing blood.

She was taken to Whiston Hospital due to police’s fears she had taken an overdose, and she continued to be verbally abusive in the back of the ambulance.

Pownall told police and paramedics that their wives were cheating on them with their best friends, and even said: “I hope your kids are dead when you get home.”

Her behaviour was too bad to be put on a general ward so she was given a private room, and she continued to scratch and kick police, laughing while spitting at them and shouting ‘Covid’.

After being discharged and returned to Runcorn Custody Suite, a spit hood was about to be applied. She told police she would not spit at them so they would not apply the hood, before doing exactly that and saying: “Haha I lied.”

At around 9.45pm, when she was due to be charged, she was then caught smearing her own faeces in her cell and urinating on the door.

Defending his client, Peter Malone referenced her mental health, lack of any previous convictions and the facts that the offences took place a number of years ago and she had stayed out of trouble since.

The offences arose after she presented herself at Warrington Hospital

“She has spent the last two and a half years asking why did all of this happen. It is a question she needs answering, and she is trying herself to get those answers,” he said.

“There will be no repetition of this, and she is seeking as much help and assistance as she can. She is remorseful and deeply regretful over what happened.”

Before sentencing, recorder Mark Ainsworth said: “I am not going to send you to prison today, but if you go in the future, that matter is entirely in your hands.

“What took place on that day was in many ways a one off, but it remains a serios sequence of events bearing in mind what was happening.

“It was three months into the first lockdown due to Covid and people were concerned, and rightly so, about the possibility of contracting Covid and the impact on them, but nonetheless medical staff continued with their public duty in such difficult circumstances.

“No medical staff or emergency worker should ever have to put up with this sort of abuse.”

He added: “I understand the difficulties you have faced over the years, and the difficulties you have faced regarding your mental health.

“It seems to me you are a good prospect of rehabilitation and you have stayed out of trouble for two years since these offences, so there is good reason for me to suspend the sentence.”

Pownall, of Briar Road in Golborne, was sentenced to 16 months in prison suspended for 18 months.