EXPERIENCING a low unlike anything she had been through before a woman considered ending her life which saw traffic brought to a standstill on the M4 while police tried to talk her down.

Eleanor Keavney was seen on a footbridge over the M4 in a state which alarmed passing motorists which prompted them to call the police who subsequently closed the motorway while they dealt with the situation.

On Friday, the 24-year-old of Oldlands Walk came before magistrates sitting in Swindon where she pleaded guilty to a public order offence and assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty. She had initially faced a charge of causing a public nuisance when she came before the bench on Saturday, July 16, but this charge was amended by the prosecutor in favour of the public order offence after her case was adjourned.

Crown prosecutor James Burnham told the bench that police had been called to a footbridge over the M4 near Swindon shortly after 8pm on July 14. Describing the incident as a “very sad set of circumstances” he said: “Police received calls from the public that the defendant was on the bridge acting in an agitated manner, giving the impression she was perhaps about to jump off the bridge onto the motorway. The motorway was closed for a time as a result of her behaviour. Clearly this did cause some harassment to the public and officers that attended.”

Keavney was eventually talked down and taken to Great Western Hospital for treatment but discharged herself the following morning. Realising she had left, hospital staff called the police and they found her a short distance away. But when they tried to return her to the hospital she kicked out and made contact with one of the arresting officers. She was taken to the ground and arrested before being taken into custody at Gablecross Police Station where she was charged and brought before the court the next day.

Her defence, Gordon Hotson told the magistrates that his client had suffered from mental health difficulties for some time. “She has been diagnosed as having an emotional personality disorder which means her mood is essentially in a state of flux.

“Thursday of last week was one of those very bad days. She was in a low that was far lower than anything she had experienced before. She was in a distressed state and had been considering ending things.”

Sentencing her, chairman of the bench Gray Gilbert told her it was a sad business: “Although the circumstances, you can’t go around kicking policemen – they are there to do a job and to protect the public and that sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated.”

Taking into account Keavney’s previous good character and clean record he imposed a 12 month conditional discharge but ordered she pay £50 compensation to the officer she had kicked. She was not ordered to pay Crown Prosecution Service costs or a victim surcharge due to her means.