A Moray mum who screamed abuse and kicked out at police who attempted to help her while she was in a drunken stupor has been told she was lucky someone with evil intentions did not find her first.
Charlotte Hodgkinson, from Elgin, shouted and swore at officers who tried to rouse her after a taxi driver reported her as “unresponsive” in her car on the town’s High Street.
The 22-year-old initially walked away after being awoken by the police before turning and unleashing a tirade of abuse shortly after 1am on October 28.
Hodgkinson was eventually arrested after repeated warnings about her conduct.
Yesterday, the Moray College UHI student and former hotel worker was sentenced when she appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Gary Aitken told her that if the police had not attempted to help her then she could have suffered a worse fate.
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He said: “People who get themselves to that level of intoxication place themselves in very grave danger in relation to motor cars.
“I have spent more than 20 years as a prosecutor and have a seen that dreadful things can happen to young ladies who are so inebriated that they have no idea what they are doing.
“You are very lucky that it is the police who got to you first and not someone with rather more malign intentions.”
After being arrested, the court heard Hodgkinson kicked one of the officers while waiting to be taken to the police station.
She continued to be uncooperative after arriving there.
Fiscal Alex Swain said: “While waiting in the back of the van, officers were requested to attend an urgent call at Elgin High Street.
“The accused refused to leave the van and had to be physically removed so the officers could attend the urgent call.”
Defence agent Robert Cruickshank said: “She is exceptionally luck she came to the attention of the police.
“It could have been dramatically worse given the state she was in.
“This lady does have an issue with alcohol.”
Hodgkinson, of Shaw Place in Elgin, was given a six-month curfew after pleading guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and assaulting a police officer.
