A PERSISTENT offender is back behind bars after she abused a member of staff at a hospital whilst “under the influence of alcohol”.

Sarah Jane Gibbons was jailed at Newport Magistrates’ Court after she pleaded guilty to a public order offence at the city’s Royal Gwent Hospital this month.

The 39-year-old admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards a staff member.

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She also pleaded guilty to swearing and threatening the same victim, causing harassment, alarm and distress, which she was prohibited from doing by a criminal behaviour order imposed by Cwmbran magistrates on February 5, 2018.

The two offences took place on Saturday, November 9.

Gibbons, of Caerau Road, Newport, was jailed for 17 weeks.

Magistrates said they were imposing an immediate custodial sentence as the “offence so serious because of her record of previous offending, the location of the offence and the fact that it was influenced by alcohol”.

Gibbons must also pay a victim surcharge of £122 upon her release from prison.

Magistrates told the defendant her guilty plea was taken into account when imposing sentence.

Had she not admitted the offences, they told her, she would have been jailed for six months.

No order for prosecution costs was made.