Cenotaph outrage woman avoids jail

Wendy Lewis, 32, was caught on closed circuit TV relieving herself on the cenotaph in the town before performing a sex act on a man in public.

Lewis was sentenced at Blackpool Magistrates' Court today to 15 weeks in prison suspended for a year after fleeing an earlier hearing on Friday when she was met by a group of veterans, wearing berets and with campaign medals on their blazers, who lined the court steps to form a "guard of dishonour".

The veterans attended court again yesterday to see the mother-of-two face justice.

Lewis, of Princess Street, Blackpool, faced further disgrace. The former heroin addict, who was found guilty of outraging public decency at an earlier hearing, also pleaded guilty to assaulting the female police officer who arrested her last night.

Lewis hurled abuse at Pc Emma Halliwell and kicked her twice, striking the officer's shin and her thigh.

District Judge Roger Lowe told her: "You are a young woman. You don't remember the First World War and the Second World War. There are people in this room who do.

"You have got the right to do whatever you want, think whatever you want and say whatever you want. Those rights were won by people who fought for us and died for us.

"When you urinated on the memorial you desecrated on their memory. You brought shame on yourself and you brought shame on the town."

Lewis, wearing a pink hooded top and white jacket, nodded as she was sentenced to 12 weeks for outraging public decency. A three-week sentence for the assault of Pc Halliwell was suspended for 12 months.

She was also ordered to complete a drug rehabilitation programme and pay 200 costs and 50 in compensation to Pc Halliwell. Lewis made no comment and covered her head with her jacket as she left court.