The teenage daughter of Sussex Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse could face jail after being convicted of assaulting a police officer.

Frances Whitehouse, 19, of Prince Edward Road, Lewes, was arrested in May outside the Hove flat she shared with her boyfriend, Lloyd Smith, after he fell from a window.

The first officer on the scene, PC Andrew Salmon, initially suspected Whitehouse had pushed him and arrested her on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

Brighton magistrates heard Whitehouse abused and swore at the officer, calling him a "no-hope, low-life scum" and adding: "My dad was a deputy chief constable at 29 - how old are you?"

When another officer, PC Christopher Cox, got into the front seat of the patrol car to drive her to the police station she kicked him in the head.

In court, Whitehouse admitted assaulting a neighbour, Alistair Scott, who came to her aid after she was heard screaming for an ambulance in the early hours.

She denied assaulting PC Cox and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress to PC Salmon.

District Judge Ann Arnold convicted her of the offences and adjourned the case until January 16. She said: "I cannot rule out the possibility of a custodial sentence."

The court heard Whitehouse appeared to be drunk during the incident in St Aubyns.

She told the court she was hysterical after her boyfriend fell from the second-floor flat after a row and she did not know if he was dead or alive.

She claimed she had only pushed her neighbour away after he made a remark about Mr Smith. She said: "I was totally hysterical."

She said she was shocked when she was arrested and had no idea what for.

When she got into the police car, the handcuffs caused her pain because of an illness which affected her joints.

She accused PC Salmon of smirking at her when he found out who her father was and of ignoring her complaints about the pain she was in.

She said: "When he found out my name he was sniggering. He was deliberately winding me up."

She said she accidentally kicked PC Cox as she tried to get comfortable.

Whitehouse has previous convictions for a public order offence and possession of an offensive weapon.