A St George’s woman denied assaulting and threatening to have a police officer killed after she was approached for stealing a bag of potato chips and a soda.

Twenty-four year-old Tenora Steede, of Southside Road, admitted theft but denied the charges of violently resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and uttering threatening words to a police officer when she appeared in Magistrates’ Court today.

Prosecutor Nicole Smith told the court Steede entered the St David’s Variety Store around 11.15am on Monday this week. She was observed placing a bottle of ginger ale and a bag of chips, valued at $3.90, inside her black handbag.

As Steede attempted to leave the store she was approached by a cashier who asked her about the items in the handbag. Steede told the cashier she wouldn’t be paying for the items and walked out of the door.

Police later found Steede sitting on a dock drinking the ginger ale with the bag of chips empty on the ground in front of her.

When officers asked Steede to accompany them to the Southside Police Station, she allegedly refused. Police then informed Steede she was being arrested on suspicion of theft at which point she is said to have become violent.

Ms Smith told the court Steede began kicking and swinging her fists at officers.

“I will get my men to kill you. You don’t know who you are dealing with,” Steede allegedly told officers once they had apprehended her.

En route to the police station, Steede is alleged to have become violent again, spitting on the floor of the police car.

The court heard that she continued kicking at officers, injuring one of them. She was eventually escorted to the Hamilton Police Station once her detention had been authorised.

In a recorded interview the following day, Steede admitted to stealing the items but said she assaulted the officers in self-defence.

“Your officers are violent, sir. You can’t always take their word,” Steede told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner.

Mr Warner remanded Steede into custody, adjourning the matter until February 12.

“If they don’t touch me, I won’t touch them,” Steede told Mr Warner, who then explained that officers were required to touch her in order to make an arrest.

“They don’t have to assault me,” Steede replied.

“An arrest is an assault which is authorised by law,” explained Mr Warner.