A CWMBRAN woman threatened to run over a police officer after being stopped for driving without insurance.

Leanne Cook, 33, of Trem Twynbarlwm in Two Locks, admitted dangerous driving after the incident on February 25 last year.

At around 12.45pm, a Blue Ford Fiesta flagged up as having no insurance on PC Madden’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) device, prosecutor Sophie Keegan said.

PC Madden followed the car, which parked in a cul-de-sac, and the officer pulled in behind it.

Ms Keegan said that Cook told the officer she thought she had valid insurance, and began looking through her phone.

PC Madden returned to her car to request further checks, where “it became evident Ms Cook was not a full licence holder as she had previously had her licence revoked.”

When she returned to Cook, the defendant had closed the car door and would only talk through the window. Cook told the officer she “would accept the ticket, but would not let her vehicle be seized.”

“She became agitated and turned on the ignition of the car,” Ms Keegan said.

As Cook went to drive forwards, the officer drew her baton and attempted to smash the window of the car. Cook drove into a parking bay, and PC Madden believed she was now stopping.

The defendant then shouted “I’ll run you over” at the officer, and PC Madden was forced to jump out of the way as Cook drove towards her.

The defendant was arrested in Cwmbran town centre by another officer at around 1.30pm.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Cook had lost her licence for speeding and failing to give information when required, and had twice been caught driving without a licence.

Nigel Fryer, defending, said: “She is terrified. She is terrified of proceedings and she was terrified at the time.

“She suffers from anxiety. As a consequence her judgement is impaired.

“She didn’t set out to hurt anyone.

“She accepts she should have behaved in a much more rational way.”

Recorder Neil Owen-Casey described it as an “ugly, unpleasant, unnecessary incident”, adding that Cook had “absolutely no concern” for the officer’s safety.

He sentenced her to seven months in prison, suspended for two years. She must also complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 10 days rehabilitation activity requirement, and was bbanned from driving for 18 months.

Cook was given no separate penalty for driving without insurance or driving without a licence – both charges she had admitted.