A WOMAN punched a police officer in the face and attacked her neighbour’s car with a vodka bottle while drunk, a court has heard.

Siobhan Matthews, 29, was almost three times the drink drive limit when she crashed into a Land Rover Discovery belonging to her neighbour in Kirkstall Crescent, Darlington, on November 22.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard that when the neighbour went out to remonstrate with Matthews he realised she had been drinking and took her keys, causing her to attack a Citroen car, belonging to the neighbour’s girlfriend, with a bottle of vodka she had in her hand.

Matthews pleaded guilty to criminal damage, driving while above the alcohol limit and driving without third party insurance.

She also pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer after she punched a female officer who had arrived at the scene and was trying to help her get dressed before taking her to the police station.

In police interview Matthews said she punched the officer in the eye because she was being “ragged about” while being assisted to dress.

No mitigation was offered by Matthews’ solicitor Amrit Jandoo before magistrates adjourned the case until December 24 to allow a pre-sentence report to be prepared.