A woman stripped off her clothes in public and shouted she "couldn't give a f***" after a heavy boozing session.
Lindsey Smith bared all in the streets of South Shields, South Tyneside and hit back at uncomfortable witnesses pleading with her to remain clothed. Newcastle Crown Court has since heard Smith, 45, had "drank herself silly". On Mile End Road last July, Smith left passers-by, including children, "shocked" and "extremely uncomfortable".
Prosecutor Emma Hughes says attention was drawn when Smith began "exposing her breasts." By the time police arrived at the scene, she had undressed and exposed "her vagina and bottom" while "laughing" in the street. She lobbed expletives at those who repeatedly asked her to cover herself.
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Hughes, prosecuting, said: "She began removing her own clothing. Firstly her top, exposing her breasts. A witness saw this and shouted 'sort yourself out'. The defendant was described sitting down, laughing, before removing her bottoms, exposing her vagina and bottom. She shouted 'I couldn't give a f***'. The police arrived, she dressed herself and was arrested."
CCTV footage of the incident was displayed to the court, with members also hearing witness statements taken by the police. One person said they were "uncomfortable and shocked" by Smith's actions.
Another said: "This incident made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I was conscious there were children around and I was worried about what they were seeing." Smith, who has convictions for 88 previous offences, admitted to outraging public decency.
Fiona Lamb, defending, said the incident showed Smith and her actions were not "normal or healthy". Judge Paul Sloan said: "She had drank herself silly that day. I appreciate she has an alcohol problem but she drank far more than she needed to sate her craving for alcohol."
Smith, who was sentenced to an 18-month community order with rehabilitation requirements, was deemed by Judge Paul Sloan to have exposed herself to children as young as nine. He added: "You removed your clothing, strutted around laughing and used foul language before exposing your naked body to those in the vicinity, this included children and some of those children were as young as nine or 10."
Judge Sloan called on a psychiatrist to assess Smith's mental health at the time of the civil unrest. It was noted in court Smith had been disadvantaged in her early years, and had suffered from domestic violence and psychotic illnesses in the past.
The judge, who noted Smith had previously admitted to drinking six litres of cider that day, said: "The doctor has stated he found no evidence that your mental health symptoms had a significant impact on you at the material time. There is no evidence you were acting upon delusions or hallucinations.
"It is his view the offence appears to have arisen against a background of difficulties you were experiencing with another female, which led you to become angry, distressed and disinhibited, exacerbated by being under the influence of alcohol.
"Your mental health issues do not reduce your culpability for your actions. Unless and until you are prepared to take responsibility for your actions and make use of professional help, which is available to you and being offered to you, the future is extremely bleak and you have only yourself to blame."
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