'FIREBALL' COCKTAIL-SUPPING OFFICER BEAT UP MUM AFTER BOXING DAY ROW
A Cleveland Police student officer, Leanne Counter, was fired from her job and permanently banned from policing after she repeatedly punched her mother while drunk on "Fireball" cocktails.The violent assault occurred on Boxing Day 2023, after Counter was kicked out of a family gathering for being rowdy.
She and her mother, Julie, tried to get a taxi home, but the driver refused due to Counter's behavior.
A passing motorist, Lewis Failes, offered them a ride, but during the car journey, Counter became abusive and began punching her mother.
The force of the blows caused the car to "bounce," and a passenger in the car had to intervene to protect Julie Counter.
The incident was so severe that it left Julie Counter with a cut nostril, a swollen cheekbone, and bruises.
She later told police that she was devastated and couldn't even look at her daughter.
Counter was arrested but has not been criminally charged.
During the disciplinary hearing, it was revealed that Counter had no memory of the incident due to her level of intoxication.
However, she later texted a colleague, saying she must have hit her mother if her father said she did.
She also admitted to a previous incident where she had put her father's girlfriend in a headlock.
The panel ultimately ruled that Counter's behavior was a breach of professional standards, amounted to gross misconduct, and warranted her immediate dismissal to maintain public confidence in the police force.
