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27
May
Harrogate woman who told group of teens 'I will kill you' sentenced
A woman who used threatening language and assaulted a police officer was sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday (May 23).
Holly Jones, of Regent Terrace in Harrogate, pleaded guilty to one count of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour and one count of assaulting an emergency worker by beating on April 28 after originally denying the charges.
The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report, but this was not read aloud in court.
Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting, told the court a member of staff at The Den on Cambridge Street saw a woman walking up and down the road at around 5pm on August 10 last year.
The man said the woman made her way between McDonald’s and the war memorial.
The court heard the man believed the woman (Jones) was drunk as she was unsteady on her feet and being loud.
Jones saw a group of teenagers at the time and started shouting at them. She said:
F*** o**, I will kill you.
Ms Ibbotson said Jones then threw a glass bottle, which smashed on the road.
The member of staff at The Den could hear her “shouting abuse” at people but could not distinguish what she was saying at that point.
When Jones walked back towards McDonald’s, the man contacted North Yorkshire Council’s CCTV operatives, who advised he call the police.
Jones, 31, continued to shout at people on the road, before shouting at an unnamed woman:
You are a f****** idiot. You stole my space.
Jones then proceeded to “stick her fingers up” at security cameras.
The court heard a named police officer was among those called to the scene.
Jones, who was still shouting, was arrested and the officer tried to get her inside the police van.
However, the defendant put her legs up to block officers.
Ms Ibbotson said the officer then tried to grab Jones’ arms to move her into the van but she resisted arrest.
Jones then shouted at the officer:
Do not hit me because I’ll hit you.
She kicked the named officer multiple times, making contact with the officer’s body.
The officer was in pain but did not sustain any lasting injuries, the court heard.
Ms Ibbotson read a statement from the police officer in court, which said:
She has no right to assault me during my duties and make me fear that I might not make it home safely.
Jones gave a predominantly “no comment” interview to the police, but also told officers: "show me the evidence.”
She has committed similar offences in the past.
'She was finding life really, really difficult’
Chris McGrogan, defending, told the court Jones is a “lady who exhibits signs of mental health issues”.
He said her poor mental health, which includes post-traumatic stress disorder, is a "consequence of her life experiences”.
The court heard Jones was not drunk but “particularly low” on the day of the offence following a traumatic event in her personal life.
Mr McGrogan said:
The days following were a blur. She was trying to get through life without any real clarity or focus.
Jones remembers going into Harrogate that day and believes she was talking to herself at the time.
The youths were “goading her and shouting at her”, so she shouted back, the court heard.
Jones tried to walk away but the group followed her.
“This aggravated the situation significantly”, Mr McGrogan said.
He added:
She feels she was going through a breakdown at the time. She did shout and she behaved inappropriately – she acknowledges that.
She was finding life really, really difficult and struggling to cope.
Jones did not have any support at the time of the offence, but she is now in contact with the community mental health team, who advised her to exercise more.
She has been going to the gym five times per week, which has given her something to focus on, the court heard.
Mr McGrogan told the magistrates:
She clearly needs help, guidance and support.
She was not thinking in a way that I’m sure everyone else in this courtroom may have done, but we were not struggling with what she was struggling with at the time.
Sentence
The chair of the magistrates’ bench told Jones:
We have heard about the considerable challenges you were facing at the time.
Jones was handed a 12-month community order, during which she must completed 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
She was also ordered to pay a £162 fine, a £114 surcharge and £75 in compensation.
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