A woman has been sentenced to 18 weeks in prison after she ran from the police and hit an officer in the face.

Elizabeth Fisher-Simpson, of no fixed abode, has also been banned from owning a dog for five years after she left her labrador-cross, Blue, in a car in 24C heat for three hours.

The court heard the 57-year-old had already served the prison sentence while on remand.

We previously reported how, on October 11, police were called to Trollaby Lane in Union Mills after a man was bitten by a dog.

The man told police he believed the dog’s owner was living in a car on Trollaby Lane.

The man said Fisher-Simpson had grabbed her dog, named Blue, but it broke loose and bit his hand.

Police located Fisher-Simpson in her car on Trollaby Lane.

When they shone a torch into the car Fisher-Simpson was said to have run from the vehicle and hit a police officer who was sitting in a police van on the side of the face. She struggled with police as she was arrested.

When interviewed she told police she had been living in the car for three weeks.

A previous court order had been made to keep the dog under proper control.

Fisher-Simpson entered a basis of plea regarding the assault saying she was asleep in the car and had been confused by the shining light.

She said she had exited the car and struck the officer with a flailing arm with an open hand.

The offence of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal occured on July 1 when police were called to Finch Hill Health Centre car park by members of the public concerned for Fisher-Simpson’s dog who had been left in her car. It was said to be extremely hot with temperatures at 24C.

Members of the public had opened the car doors and placed bowls of water inside for the dog, which was the same labrador -cross.

Police tried to remove it from the car but it was said to be too stressed.

A dog handler eventually removed the dog an hour after police had been called. A vet’s report said had the dog not been removed from the car, it was likely to have suffered significant harm which could have proved fatal.

Fisher-Simpson told police she was attending church and claimed she was only a few minutes.

Advocate Paul Glover said the probation report painted a ’rather tragic picture’.

Mr Glover said Fisher-Simpson wanted to return to the UK where she had family and the Salvation Army had offered her a night’s accommodation and a boat ticket.

Mr Glover said Fisher-Simpson would be ’absolutely devastated’ if Blue was taken away from her.

Mrs Hughes ordered Blue be surrendered to the custody of the ManxSPCA.