A TWENTY-YEAR-OLD woman “embarrassed” by a television crew filming the arrest of her boyfriend punched a police officer in the face after being told she could not leave the scene.

Georgia Gair assaulted a PC while his fellow officers carried out a search warrant to locate a man believed to be inside a house in Consett on February 6.

Officers from Durham Police were being shadowed by a camera crew from popular Channel 5 television show, Police Interceptors, when they entered the property to make the arrest.

Gair was not under investigation in connection with her partner’s arrest. However, Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday that she was upset the arrest was being filmed for national television.

Joanne Hesse, prosecuting, said: “The PC was in attendance at the defence’s address at 9 o’clock in the morning as he was there to execute a warrant.

“She stands at the front door and states she wants to go for a cigarette. The officer says she can’t go for a cigarette and she punches him to the lower left side of his jaw.”

Gair, of Dormand Court, in Station Town, Wingate, County Durham, was immediately arrested and pleaded guilty to a single count of assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty.

In a victim impact statement from the Peterlee-based PC struck by Gair, he said: “At the time of writing this statement six hours after the incident, my jaw is very sore and the pain has gone up to the left side of my face around my eye socket and caused a headache.

“Persons who assault police officers in the line of duty should be given a custodial sentence immediately, otherwise these people will think they can get away with it.”

Unemployed Gair wore a blue velour tracksuit in court and was represented by Jaxon Taylor who said: “The police entered with a television crew – there’s a programme shown on Channel 5 on a weekly basis called Police Interceptors.

“She didn’t want to be on television and was upset when the camera crew were filming inside her house.

“She’s been upset and lost her temper and hit out.

“I believe the police officer would have been hit harder previously, but it wasn’t a case that she begrudged the police being there, but she was embarrassed her partner was going to be on the TV.”

Gair was fined £80 and ordered to pay £70 in compensation to the police officer. She must also pay £85 in court costs.

The chairman of the bench addressed the 20-year-old and said: “We think it is a difficult situation for you, but after saying that, there’s no excuse for punching a police officer – they’re only doing their duty and the court takes that very seriously.”