Skegness woman punched, kicked and spat at police after being stopped for driving without insurance, court told

Jovita Tutoriene, 32, of Croft Lane, admitted three assault charges when she appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday (Feb 22)as well as offences of driving without insurance, driving with a defective tyre, and failing to stop for police – all from January 26.

Prosecuting, Shelley Wilson said Tutoriene’s car was stopped by police in Wainfleet Road after it was shown to be uninsured, but when the officers asked her to get out of the car, she drove off at speed before pulling into a car park.

Ms Wilson said that when the officers told her that the car would be seized, she hit one of them in the face.

Police then forced her out of the car and restrained her, Ms Wilson said.

When Tutoriene had apparently calmed down, the officers picked her up, but at this point she kicked another one of them and spat at them, the court was told.

Ms Wilson said while in the custody suite and having been allowed to make a phone call on her own mobile, Tutoriene struck the custody officer in the chest with it after they attempted to take the phone from her following the call, saying that they had to stay two metres away from her.

In interview, she said she had driven away because she was stressed and also alleged she had not known the car was uninsured – but Ms Wilson said it had not been insured since 2019. In mitigation, Tony Davis said that, initially, Tutoriene did not appreciate that police have the power to seize a car that is uninsured.

He said she had felt threatened by the police and had ‘reluctantly’ pleaded guilty as she felt she had done nothing wrong.

After hearing a report from the probation service, the magistrates imposed an electronically monitored curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am for the next four months.

She was also ordered to pay a total of £350 compensation to the three police officers she assaulted and £166 for having no insurance.

She was also fined £83 and £85 costs for a separate speeding offence.