A grieving woman who had drowned her sorrows after visiting her mum's grave on Mother's Day became irate and threw a can of lager at police when they searched her for drugs, a court was told.

Joanne Griffiths, 33, was ordered to pay £516 after pleading guilty to having £7 worth of cannabis and calling a police officer a "d***head" and a "muppet" in Newtown during the early hours of Monday, March 28 last year.

She was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to PC Cook after beer landed on her trousers after a charge of assaulting an emergency worker charge was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Welshpool Magistrates' Court heard that officers were called to the Dolyfelin area of Welshpool where they saw Griffiths getting out of a car and they could smell a strong odour of cannabis.

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After telling her they would carry a stop check, Griffiths became irate and swore at police before emptying her pockets throwing out a small amount of cannabis and a spliff. As they continued the search, Griffiths swore at PC Underwood before throwing a can of lager at PC Cook which hit the ground. The drink splashed on her trousers.

"I didn't mean to do that to you," Griffiths was caught saying on police body worn footage before she was arrested and taken to the police station.

Mr Davies told the court: "PC Underwood said he felt alarmed and distressed by her behaviour which was quite excessive, and she didn't appear to show remorse. PC Cook had lots of beer on her trousers as a result of throwing the can."

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Owain Jones, mitigating, said: "I think it's important to note it was Mother’s Day. My client had attended her mother’s grave and was extremely emotional and she consumed alcohol and was drowning her sorrows and grieving and that’s when police intervened and helped her. It’s a very sad situation that she has found herself in." 

Mr Jones added that the can had not hit the officer, only beer, and that she had been remoreseful straight away.

"She is 33 years old, she is a carer you can see she is in her gear now," he added. "Any conviction will tarnish her reputation."

Magistrates decided to order a “hefty” fine of £346 for the public order offence, and told Griffiths, of Willow Grove, Craven Arms, to pay £85 court costs and a £35 victim surcharge.

There was no separate penalty for the drug offence but magistrates did order the destruction of the cannabis.