A COVID rules breaker 'lost the rag' and tried to open the door of a moving police car following her arrest at an illegal gathering at a house in Greenock.

Jemma Bruce reacted so violently to being told by officers to leave the property and go home that fast straps had to be applied to prevent her from lashing out any further.

Now she has been heavily fined by a sheriff over the 'serious' offence.

Bruce, 18 — who was placed on an anti-social behaviour order in 2019 — later assaulted a PC by kicking him on the body.

She committed the 'spur of the moment' offences on the afternoon of April 6 last year after police were called to the unlawful get-together within a property at Auchmountain View.

Prosecutor John Penman told the sheriff court: "What happens is she essentially loses the rag."

Bruce — described in court as a 'troubled' young woman — was aged 17 at the time.

She pleaded guilty to refusing to comply with a police instruction, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, shouting and swearing at officers, attempting to open the car door, kicking the inside of the vehicle and police assault.

Bruce is currently on a community payback order for another matter which involves supervision and help from public agencies.

Her lawyer said: "She is extremely remorseful and regrets her actions and conduct on this day.

"There have been a number of troubling issues going on in her life.

"There is never any pre-planning to her offending, these are spontaneous, spur of the moment reactions."

The solicitor added: "It's abhorrent and horrendous behaviour and she knows she shouldn't have acted like this.

"The fuller story is that she has help and support and is engaging well with social work, her community psychiatric nurse and grandparents, with whom she lives.

"Everything that can be done for Miss Bruce is being done."

Sheriff Michael Higgins fined Bruce, whose address was not given in court, £800.

The sheriff told her: "I have read in detail the terms of the background report.

"I accept that you are a young woman with difficulties on a day-to-day basis that are not all created by you.

"The offences committed by you are serious ones, but it seems to me that there is something positive to be said from the reports available to me.

"Your positive engagement with social work is of benefit to you, and to the wider community as well.

"I don't think it would be appropriate for me to impose an additional order for more monitoring."