A Carlisle woman has admitted deliberately wounding a police officer with a knife and assaulting another, while denying charges of attempted murder.
Hannah Smaile, 25, faced Carlisle Crown Court following an incident at her Lister Court home on 28 May, where officers from Cumbria Police were called to respond. According to reports, Smaile confronted the officers with a knife, resulting in injuries to both.
During the court hearing, Smaile pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder. She did, however, admit to unlawfully and maliciously wounding a female officer with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and to assaulting a male officer, causing actual bodily harm. The male officer’s attempt to charge with grievous bodily harm was denied by Smaile.
Evidence presented revealed that the female constable sustained a cut to her nose, while her male colleague suffered a cut to his finger. Both officers required hospital treatment following the attack. Smaile also admitted to threatening both officers with a bladed article while in a private location, adding to the severity of the charges.
Prosecutor Tim Evans told the court that Smaile’s pleas had been carefully considered and accepted at the “highest level” of the Crown Prosecution Service. Judge Nicholas Barker adjourned the case to allow preparation of a probation service pre-sentence report.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 15 December, during which the court will review two psychiatric reports alongside updated impact statements from the injured officers. The reports and statements are expected to inform the final sentencing decision.
The case has highlighted the risks faced by frontline police officers and the legal processes involved when bladed weapons are used against law enforcement. Smaile’s partial admissions mark a crucial step in the legal proceedings, ensuring that the victims’ injuries and threats are formally acknowledged, even as she contests the most serious charges.
The incident remains under public and media scrutiny, as communities consider the implications of violent attacks on police and the importance of legal accountability. With the sentencing hearing approaching, all parties involved are awaiting a resolution that reflects both the gravity of the offences and the circumstances surrounding them.
