Northern Ireland

Woman tore clumps of hair from female police officer's head, court told

Stephanie Dunlop (31) is also accused of spitting on two other policewomen

General View of The Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
The accused was remanded into custody

A Co Antrim woman allegedly tore clumps of hair from a female police officer’s head, the high court has heard.

Stephanie Dunlop (31) is also accused of spitting on two other policewomen and ripping out multiple clumps of her own sister’s hair in a separate attack.

A judge refused bail to Dunlop, of Acacia Avenue in Dunmurry, due to the risk of further offences.

She faces charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault on police, common assault and criminal damage in connection with the two incidents.

Prosecution counsel Aoife Murphy told the court members of the PSNI attended a house in Antrim on September 22 for unrelated reasons.

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Dunlop was detained at the property on suspicion of breaching a prohibition of being under the influence of alcohol in public.

“She allegedly grabbed the constable’s head and pulled her hair with enough force to cause two large clumps to be pulled out,” Ms Murphy said.

Dunlop was restrained at the scene and cautioned as part of her arrest.

“She replied ‘I don’t give a f***,” the barrister added.

Despite being bailed subsequently, she allegedly became violent again at the same location on November 11.

It was claimed that Dunlop launched a drunken mid-afternoon attack on her sister in the street outside the house.

“The complainant alleged that she ripped multiple clumps of her hair out while trailing her around,” Ms Murphy submitted.

At one point the injured party said she was grabbed by the jumper and thrown over a garden fence, telling police that she “went flying”.

Footage captured on body-worn cameras by officers called to the scene showed parts of her head were “quite bare”, the court heard.

A man who tried to separate the sisters claimed that he received a number of blows to the face.

Stephanie Dunlop was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the assaults and ripping off a garden gate.

She allegedly struggled aggressively as police put her in handcuffs, attempting a headbutt and spitting on two female officers.

During interviews she denied attacking her sister or damaging the gate.

Bail was opposed amid concerns Dunlop could abscond, with the prosecution claiming she previously evaded police by hiding inside a bedframe.

Patrick Taylor, defending, suggested that she should be released to obtain help for drug and alcohol issues.

He also argued that the prosecution could be hampered if his client’s sister does not make a formal statement of complaint.

But denying bail, Mr Justice O’Hara responded: “Not if the police have clumps of hair on body-worn footage.”