A woman used a handcuff as a makeshift weapon to attack police officers after a car in which she was a passenger was pulled over.

Jessica Sheppard, 20, also spat at one of the officers – a female police constable – after attacking her two colleagues, Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard.

After hearing she suffered from poor mental health and had no previous convictions, JPs ordered a pre-sentence report and bailed her to appear before the Salisbury justices in March for sentence.

Prosecutor Natalie Angel told the court police had been called to reports of a theft on December 4, 2019. Five suspects – three men and two women – jumped into a car and sped away.

The car was later stopped by police in Worton, near Devizes. Sheppard was a backseat passenger in the vehicle.

Det Con Cerys Powell approached the woman and asked her to put out her hands. She managed to put a cuff over Sheppard’s left arm but was distracted by the other woman. Sheppard was said to have screamed at the police, asking what they were doing. She punched the detective then took hold of her neck scarf. Ms Angel said: “The officer thought she was going to be strangled.”

Another officer, PC Adam Reed, went to his colleague’s aid. He was struck in the head with the loose handcuff, which was being used as a weapon. The defendant was said to have pressed her fingers into Det Con Powell’s eye socket in an apparent attempt to gouge her eyes.

A third officer, PC Sarah Ennis, was spat at by Sheppard. Ms Angel said the phlegm hit the officer in the face near her mouth.

Appearing before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, Sheppard, of Bancroft, Bradford-upon-Avon, pleaded guilty to three counts of assaulting an emergency worker. She had no previous convictions.

Defending, Moses Tawo said his client suffered from poor mental health. She had been sectioned after being arrested by the police in December 2019. He asked magistrates to adjourn the case and order a pre-sentence report.

Bailing Sheppard to be sentenced in Salisbury on March 12, chairman of the bench Sarah Neish said: “We’ve heard some of the detail of the offence from the prosecutor and we’ve heard from your solicitor and it does seem to us that we do need a pre-sentence report.” She was granted unconditional bail.