A TEENAGE girl swore at police officers before punching and headbutting one in the face and spitting at another.

Paige Skinner, 18, from Newhaven, had been involved in a heated argument with her mother before she assaulted the police officers when they tried to restrain her.

Skinner admitted assaulting the officers when she appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The fracas happened at Skinner’s mother’s house in South Heighton, Newhaven, on August 12.

The court heard PC Richard Haffenden and PC Marc Whiteman had been called to the property to speak with the teen.

Laura Devitt, prosecuting, told the court: “Skinner shouted at her mum ‘Why did you call the feds you c***?’ and threw a mobile phone at her.

“She then punched PC Haffenden in the face.

“The defendant then headbutted PC Whiteman. Throughout this time she was continuously shouting and being abusive to her mother.”

Police body camera footage recorded Skinner swearing at the officers as they tried to restrain her and she said “I wish it was you [her mum] dying instead of my gran.”

As she was restrained on the ground, she was also shown to clear her throat and spit in PC Whiteman’s face.

The horse stables worker was arrested and taken to Eastbourne custody centre, where officers found cannabis on her.

Skinner, of Forward Close, South Heighton, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty, possession of cannabis and using threatening behaviour to cause alarm.

The Plumpton College student, who attended court in jeans and wearing hooped earrings, also pleaded guilty to theft of a £14.99 bottle of vodka from SS Food and Wine in South Road, Newhaven, on August 9. She also admitted causing £1,400 criminal damage to a fishing vessel in West Quay, Newhaven, on August 9.

Sarah Clarke, defending said: “She has struggled when she is approached by the police and becomes agitated when they put hands on.

“Her relationship broke down in June and it resulted in her going off the rails.”

Skinner has a previous conviction for an assault on a police officer, theft and criminal damage all last year.

Chairman of the magistrates Gary Gates gave her a community order for 12 months and ordered her to attend 20 sessions to address alcohol and drug misuse and emotionally aggressive behaviour.

She was also made to pay £50 compensation to each officer.

Skinner will also be tagged for eight weeks and must adhere to a strict 8pm to 8am curfew.

Mr Gates said to a smiling Skinner in the dock: “We have gone a long way to help you, grasp the nettle and get on with it.”

Sussex Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, called the attack disgusting.

Matt Webb, chairman of the Sussex Police Federation, said: “We hear about these attacks on officers in Sussex weekly, if not daily, just for doing their job – which is absolutely unacceptable.

“Spitting at officers is a particularly vile act and that is why we are grateful to Sussex Police for being one of the first forces to issues spit-guards to officers to place over the heads of suspects if they had been spitting, to prevent them committing any further offences.

“Thankfully most of the assaults result in minor injuries but sometimes officers are attacked with knifes and have things thrown at them to assault them.

“Only last year a female officer in Crawley was attacked with a hammer.”

The group has launched a campaign to address the issue called Protect the Protectors and is backing Rhondda MP Chris Bryant’s private members Bill to give magistrates and judges tougher sentencing powers.

You can sign the Police Federation's petition calling on the Home Secretary Amber Rudd to impose tougher sentences on those who assault emergency service workers by visiting www.change.org/p/home-secretary-amber-rudd-tougher-sentences-for-those-who-assault-our-emergency-services