A WOMAN from Rhyl has been jailed after she committed multiple thefts and assaults on police officers.

Danielle Mullan, 37, of East Parade, was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment at Mold Crown Court today (October 25).

Mullan, who appeared in court via videolink from HMP Styal where she had been remanded in custody, was in tears as her sentence was passed.

She had previously admitted two counts each of theft and of assaulting an emergency worker, and one charge of robbery.

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Prosecuting, Catherine Elvin told the court that, on July 19, Mullan was captured on closed circuit television (CCTV) walking into Rhyl’s Wilko store on Market Street.

Mullan walked up to the shop’s makeup counter, collected a number of items from the shelves, placed them into a handbag, and left without paying for them.

At 6am on August 13, Mullan entered the Co-op store on Victoria Road, Prestatyn, when a staff member was told by a colleague to “keep an eye on her”.

The staff member saw Mullan put various items into a basket, including steaks and spirits, before heading for the store’s exit.

Staff disabled the doors, preventing Mullan from leaving, and the staff member told her repeatedly to put her basket down.

Mullan refused to do so, and screamed for her to be let out, before throwing the basket of items onto the ground towards the staff member.

She then pushed past the staff member and tried to physically prise open the doors which had been disabled.

The staff member was able to stop her from leaving, before Mullan went to pick up the basket and a bottle of alcohol.

When the staff member tried to take this from her, Mullan pushed her back, before picking up another bottle of alcohol, swinging it behind her, and pushing the staff member.

Though she hit the staff member on the left side of her nose, she was not injured.

Another employee reactivated the doors, having seen what was happening, and shouted at the staff member to let Mullan leave.

Mullan did so, taking the two bottles of alcohol with her as she walked away.

At 6.45am that morning, Mullan was again seen on CCTV at the Co-op store on Ffordd Elan, Rhyl, where she took six bottles of gin.

Later that morning, police officers located Mullan, conducted a search upon her person, and found multiple spirit bottles.

Mullan became “increasingly resistant”, so was placed on the floor, but “continued to resist” the officers.

She was “shouting”, and kicked out at PC Alston, catching him on the shoulder.

PC Taylor was then spat at and kicked in the groin and testicles by Mullan, with a kick “so hard that it shot up through to his abdomen”.

In a victim statement, one of the officers described Mullan’s behaviour as “completely abhorrent”.

Ms Elvin said Mullan had 38 previous convictions for 70 offences, including two matters of theft in 2001 and 2002.

Defending, Simon Killeen conceded that this was a “pathetic case”, and that his client has a “dreadful record”.

He said she has her “own mental health issues”, and has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Mullan had written a letter expressing remorse for her actions.

Sentencing, Recorder Simon Mills told Mullan that she had a “bad record for assaulting emergency workers”.

Though Recorder Mills accepted that she wants to change, he added: “Officers were doing their duty to try and detain you.

“These are people who are doing a difficult job to protect and serve the public.

“The courts will protect them from people who don’t want to co-operate, and who use violence in order to express their anger.”