A "WILD, out of control woman" refused to release her grip on two women's hair - despite police officers punching the back of her wrists and pressing their thumbs into her neck, Skipton magistrates heard.

Qualified nurse Donna-Marie Campbell, 34, eventually let go after several minutes, leaving both women very upset, and one with a black eye, the court was told on Monday.

Campbell, of Brougham Street, Skipton, claimed she suffered anxiety, had just had extensive dental treatment and had acted in self defence and fright after being taunted by a "bully squad" as she lay on the ground in the rain outside the town's Wetherspoons Pub at around 1am on February 8.

But magistrates found her guilty of two assaults by beating after hearing from three police constables and a sergeant who described her as being drunk, very angry, wild and out of control.

They told her she had acted out of character because of drink and gave her a 12-month conditional discharge. But they ordered her to pay £150 compensation to each of the two women, costs of £100 and a victims surcharge of £15.

The officers also described how she continued to be aggressive and very angry even after being handcuffed and taken to the police station in a van.

Initially two officers and then two more called to assist attended the "melee" outside the pub, the court was told.

Campbell, who had shared a bottle of champagne with a friend before going out, followed by a further two glasses of wine at Wetherspoons, had been ejected because of her behaviour, including repeatedly drumming on a table.

She had been lying on the floor outside in the rain when firstly Katie Bonser and then Hannah Clayton had gone over to her.

She had grabbed both of them by the hair, letting go of Miss Bonser first, and then of Miss Clayton, following much persuasion by the police.

PC Jason Payne told the court he had used the tried and tested Mandibular Angle technique in an attempt to get Campbell to release her hold because of the distress she was causing to Miss Clayton.

He said he had used it maybe six times in his 25-year career and had never known it to not work before.

"It had no effect at all. It got to the point that I had to stop because it was hurting me more than her," he said.

Sgt Mark Earnshaw said when he arrived he saw Campbell with clenched fists holding the hair of the other women.

Campbell was repeatedly asked to release her grip, but she refused, he said.

He managed to get her to release Miss Bonser and after twisting her wrist and twice striking her on the back of her wrist, she let go of the second woman.

Campbell was then carried "screaming and kicking" to the police van where she was secured in a cage before being taken to Skipton Police Station.

During the short, five-minute journey, she headbutted the Perspex cage and on arrival at the custody suite, made threats to the officers, telling them she was going to "have them all".

Prosecutor Caroline Midgley accused Campbell of being drunk, belligerent and aggressiv e. "You were quite simply 'on one' that night," she said.

But Maria Temkow, for Campbell, said she had reacted out of self defence and had been subjected to a lot of pain by the officers who she suggested had acted "excessively".

Miss Bonser and Miss Clayton had been out to cause trouble and were part of what Campbell had described as a "bully squad".