A WOMAN with a history of assaulting emergency workers is back in jail for another attack on a police officer.

Kyla Jones, 23, was locked up for six months for causing “a serious and painful injury” to a policewoman, Newport Magistrates' Court was told.

The defendant, of Mount Pleasant, Bargoed, has left her victim “physically and emotionally affected”.

Jones pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker in Ystrad Mynach on May 15.

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The defendant was also ordered to pay the complainant £150 in compensation.

The offence was committed after she had been released from prison on licence.

She was jailed for 16 weeks in March for attacking two police officers.

Earlier this month, Gwent Police Chief Constable Pam Kelly spoke out against assaults on emergency workers.

Her plea came as part of the ‘Work with us, not against us’ campaign following a rise in attacks on police, fire and ambulance crews in Wales.

More than 4,240 assaults were committed against emergency workers between April 2019 and November 2020, a monthly average increase from 202 in 2019 to 222 in 2020, a 10% rise.

More than half (58%) of incidents took place in South East Wales.

The chief constable said: “Emergency services across Wales are committed to doing all that we can to serve the public.

“We can only effectively do our jobs if people work with us and not against us.

“With assaults on emergency workers continuing to rise, we are insisting and appealing for this type of behaviour to stop.

“Too often I see the devastating impact these assaults have on police officers and other emergency workers as they go about their duty to help those in need.

“It is important to remember that beneath any uniform is a person who has friends, family members and loved ones.

“An assault on any emergency worker is a crime, be that physical or verbal, and will not be tolerated.”