A TEENAGE 'Mr Hyde' who blacked out while attacking three police officers, a nurse and a security guard and trashing a Worcester hospital cubicle has been described as both 'vulnerable' and 'brave'.

Alanna Knight also damaged her dad's home in the Westlands estate in Droitwich during one of her outbursts after coming to the UK from the US to live with her father, a man she had never met and had only previously spoken to over the telephone.

How we first reported the case

The 19-year-old of Thatchers Piece, Droitwich admitted eight charges, including two assaults on emergency workers (police officers), a nurse and a security guard after she was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital on August 4 this year following a suspected drug overdose. While at the hospital she also damaged plug sockets and fittings in her cubicle and had to be restrained by officers.

The following day she threw various objects, including garden ornaments, a bike and a brick at her father's home in Woodmans Rise in Droitwich which caused damage and led to her arrest.

Inside the cell at Worcester Police Station she tore up a book and put the ripped pages in the toilet before hitting the officer in the face with her urine-soaked trousers.

She admitted a further assault on an emergency worker and two further criminal damage matters in relation to this.

Fergus Maxwell, defending, said: "This is a young lady who is 19 years old. This is her first encounter with the criminal justice system in the US or England. It would be fair to say she has never behaved in this manner previously."

Mr Maxwell went on to say that Knight's actions followed an exchange between herself and her father but that she had 'no recollection whatsoever of anything that took place'.

A pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service was referred to by David Shadwell, the chairman of the bench, which described the episode as 'a blackout'.

Mr Maxwell said following the incident with her father she got some Xanax from someone in Droitwich 'to block things out' and that her response to the medication had been 'extreme'.

"It turned her into a Mr Hyde character. I can tell you she is extremely ashamed. She can't believe it" he said.

He further described it as 'two days of total loss of control'. Brought up in Florida, he said she had a difficult relationship with her mother in the US, finished high school and 'got involved with an undesirable young man' and began using drugs, specifically heroin.

She flew from Orlando to Heathrow to become part of her father's family in Droitwich but 'wasn't made to feel particularly welcome', said the solicitor.

After Knight was told to leave her dad's house, she arrived on the doorstep of a woman who had a link to her father. Knight was said by her solicitor to have been wearing no shoes at the time and to have asked the woman 'can you help me?' She has now taken Knight in, the court heard.

"Since then there have been no issues with illicit drugs" said Mr Maxwell who said his client was 'at a low risk of reoffending'.

Mr Maxwell also described her as 'brave', a 'vulnerable young woman' and as having 'something about her' after she left the US on her own to come and live in the UK.

Magistrates imposed a 12 month community order to include 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days with an exclusion requirement not to attend her father's address at Woodmans Rise in Droitwich for the next six months.

Mr Shadwell, the chairman of the bench, said: "What we wanted to do was give all the parties compensation but there's a recognition you have got no money."

They also made no order for costs and did not impose the statutory victim surcharge for the same reason. The court had earlier been told that Knight was not claiming UK benefits.