Drunk shopper hurled abuse

DRUNKEN Lorraine Meads hurled racist abuse at a shop worker who locked her in his premises, believing she had stolen some beer.

The assistant had refused to sell Meads beer because she was too intoxicated, and she started to drink from a can.

When police arrived, Meads was escorted from the Soham Shopper premises, and she swore at officers.

"Meads kicked an officer on the thigh, she was taken to the floor and arrested," prosecutor Francesca Devine told Ely magistrates.

"There were no handcuffs available so she was pinned to the floor until more officers arrived."

Meads, 41, of White Hart Lane, Soham, admitted racially aggravated behaviour in Soham on May 19, and assaulting PC Darren Goodwin.

Both Meads and her male companion were too drunk to be served, said Mrs Devine. She was racially abusive to the Asian assistant, and started to drink from a can. The assistant had mistakenly believed the beer had not been paid for, she added. Her male companion was abusive, and police put him on the floor.

Meads told police she was an alcoholic and the two glasses of Southern Comfort she had drunk had not affected her.

Mitigating, solicitor Michael Judkins said the incident took place near to the anniversary of the death of Meads' three-year-old son.

She had felt the shop worker was unreasonable when he refused to serve her.

"Perhaps because of his accent, she could not follow what he said," he explained. "She was frustrated and uttered words she should not have used. She is not racist. By the time the police arrived she was not well disposed to them. She had been locked in the shop by the assistant. She accepts that when the police arrived she was disrespectful, and there was a confrontation."

Meads will be making a formal complaint about her treatment at a police station, alleging she was kicked, he added.

Sentencing was adjourned until June 28 for a pre-sentence report.