A DRUNK woman refusing to leave an ambulance outside a Carlisle hospital gave the police officer dealing with her a 'Yeehaw' style slap on the bottom.

When 43-year-old Kathleen McCann appeared at the city's Rickergate Magistrates' Court and was asked whether she was guilty of the offence of assaulting the officer, she replied: “I sincerely apologise – and I’m 100 per cent guilty.”

Prosecutor George Shelley outlined the facts.

He said police were called to The Cumberland Infirmary at 3.45pm on September 21 following a report that a woman – the defendant – was in an ambulance outside the hospital’s A&E Department and she was refusing to get out.

Two officers went to the scene, where they were told that McCann has been found drunk in a Carlisle area park and was then taken by ambulance to the hospital because the paramedics wanted her checked over.

“The defendant was intoxicated,” said Mr Shelley. “She explained that she would not go into A&E and began shouting.”

It was as one of the officers who had been talking to McCann in the ambulance turned to begin recording the defendant’s details that the defendant 'smacked' her bottom, though this causes no injury, said the prosecutor.

The police officer was not amused.

Mr Shelley added: “In her police interview, the defendant admitted the offence and said she had been drunk and apologised for her behaviour.”

The court heard that McCann had nine previous offences on her record, including a battery and a public order offence.

Kate Hunter, defending, told magistrates: “It’s important the court hears my client’s description of this.

"She said it was intended to be a ‘Yeehaw’ style slap; it wasn’t intended as an assault on this emergency worker.

“She accepts that's not a defence. Her action was intended to be friendly, but it went too far. It was a ‘yeehaw!’ slap that was intended.”

The lawyer said the defendant, who had been staying in Cumbria with friends so she could have a break from her home in Birmingham, had expressed remorse.

The mum-of-three also suffered from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“She had suffered a panic attack just before the ambulance attended to her,” added Miss Hunter.

Magistrates fined McCann £140, with £85 costs and a £56 victim surcharge.