A half naked woman who kicked a police officer who tried to cover her with a blanket to protect her modesty has been jailed for nine months.

Police officers went to Mill Road in Bury St Edmunds on October 19 last year after receiving reports from members of the public that Sophie Clarke was in the street wearing just a vest and a small pair of shorts, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

She appeared drunk and upset and was saying she needed to see her boyfriend, said Joanne Eley, prosecuting.

When police officers arrived Clarke was naked from the waist down and when a police officer tried to assist her by covering her with a blanket she had kicked out at him.

The kick made contact with his knee causing the officer significant pain, said Miss Eley.

Clarke was taken to hospital and subsequently arrested and while she was at a police investigation centre she spat at a woman police officer who was trying to help her because she was upset.

Clarke, 21, of Chalk Road South, Bury St Edmunds, admitted affray, assaulting two police officers by beating and breaching a conditional discharge which was imposed for two offences of assaulting police officers.

She was due to have been sentenced in April but Judge Rupert Overbury deferred sentence until today (Wednesday) to give Clarke the chance to prove she could behave herself.

However today Judge Overbury heard that Clarke had committed further offences of assaulting three police officers and a public order offence during the deferral period and was due to appear before magistrates in September.

Jailing her for a total of nine months Judge Overbury said he had deferred sentence in April to give her the chance to show that although she had had a tough life she could behave herself for a while.

“There has to be a point when the court says enough is enough and that point has come today,” said the judge.

“I need to protect those people who serve in this county to protect members of the public. They deserve protection themselves,” said Judge Overbury.

Declan Gallagher, for Clarke, described his client as “vulnerable and damaged” and said she had a difficult life.

He accepted she had breached the terms of the deferral order.