An Ottawa woman has been awarded $254,000 after a judge found police used excessive force to arrest her in 2008.

Roxanne Carr's lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, tells Newstalk 580 CFRA she was arrested when her then boyfriend called police to have her removed from their shared apartment.

She was then forcefully arrested before being restrained in a cell for several hours.

This week a judge ruled police used excessive force, violating her rights.

Greenspon says Carr is relieved the ordeal is over.

"Her first reaction was, she just broke down and cried," he says. "She's been very patient and very courageous through what's amounted to a nine-year wait for justice."

Ontario's Special Investigations did look into the matter after it happened, but Greenspon says the investigation was cleared.