09 August 2024 , 17:33
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Footage from the night shows Hodgson taking a run up as she attempts to roll the large dumpster towards the police. But, instead of hitting the nonplussed officers, it rolled to a pathetic halt several feet from them
A female thug who was seen pushing wheelie bins at a police line "and inciting others" during riots has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Leanne Hodgson, 43, of Holborn Road, Sunderland, also deliberately ran into an officer and called another one a “f****** Black c***” during the disorder on August 2 in the city. Newcastle Crown Court heard that when police saw her early in the evening she was “clearly under influence of alcohol and shouting abuse at officers”.
Footage from the night shows Hodgson taking a run-up as she attempts to roll the large dumpster toward the police. But, instead of hitting the nonplussed officers, it rolled to a pathetic halt several feet from them. Two males then took over, but again the bin did not reach them. An onlooker is heard in the video saying: “I don’t know where she keeps finding these bins.”
Leanne Hodgson was caught on video attempting to roll a dumpster at police ( Image: Twitter/Chloejaneriz)
Later on, an officer described Hodgson “running straight at him and colliding with him”. He said it was “clearly a deliberate act” and when he looked at her afterwards she was “laughing and pointing at him”.
The defendant was identified by police from videos on social media, where she was seen pushing industrial bins towards police, picking up a glass bottle and motioning as if to throw it at officers, and breaking bricks on the ground before throwing them into the crowd to be used as missiles. The court heard she also threw an object at a parked police vehicle, smashing the windscreen.
Leanne Hodgson, 43, deliberately ran into an officer and shouted racist abuse at police ( Image: Northumbria /PA)
After Hodgson was arrested the next day, police learned she had tried to buy a balaclava from the post office earlier. In mitigation, the court heard she has “mental health difficulties exacerbated by alcohol problems” and was “ashamed of her actions”.
Annalisa Moscardini, defending Hodgson, says she has had a long-standing alcohol problem and that it has caused a lot of problems in her life and in her thinking. She has been a victim of domestic violence but was sober for a period. However, she turned back to alcohol use. Moscardini also said the term “Black c***”, which Hodgson said to the officer, referred to his uniform and was not racial.
Hodgson has six previous convictions for 11 offences, including in July 2023 for failing to provide a specimen. Most convictions are for driving offences, the court hears. She has a conviction for battery.