‘Wild animal’ is spared jail despite attacks on police
Vicious drug addict who turned memorial garden into nightmare still on the streets
AVIOLENT drug addict who destroyed the tranquility of Birmingham’s Peace Gardens and carried out a hate campaign against police has been spared jail.
Despite kicking, spitting, racially abusing officers, threatening to taser one and even using a police car as a toilet, Kimberley Eccleshare was not given a custodial sentence.
The 37-year-old, high on drug ‘black mamba’, launched her threeweek rampage in Birmingham’s Peace Gardens, off Bath Row in the city centre.
One special officer has admitted her actions pushed him to the brink of leaving the force.
Another described Eccleshare’s foul language as the worst encountered in 17 years.
Yet despite having an atrocious record of breaching court orders 11 times – let alone ignoring community protection notices and bail conditions – she managed to avoid an immediate prison term at Birmingham Crown Court.
Instead she received a 15-month suspended sentence, although it was acknowledged she had been held in custody for seven months on remand.
Judge Avik Mukherjee condemned her actions, but stated it was in the public interest to try and do something “constructive” with Eccleshare, who admitted multiple counts of assaulting emergency workers, racially aggravated harassment, criminal damage and drugs possession.
Most of the offences took place in and around the Peace Gardens in the grounds of the ruined St Thomas’
Church, which was bombed in the war.
On June 30 last year she was arrested and urinated in the back of a patrol car.
Later, when an officer tried to search her, she kicked his leg. She then insulted an Asian special constable with a racial slur and told him to take his turban off.
“I was extremely offended, disgusted and disappointed,” said the victim in a statement read by prosecutor Laura Hollingway.
“It made me question whether I should continue to work as a special constable.”
On July 7 Eccleshare hurled homophobic abuse at an officer at the same location. When a local worker tried to intervene and offer her a cup of coffee she threatened to throw it over the officer and taser him.
He said it was “at least the third time this year” he had encountered Eccleshare, but this time “enough is enough”, the court heard.
Two days later, on July 9, Eccleshare was arrested at the Peace Gardens again prompting further spitting and kicking at officers.
When an Asian constable applied a spit hood she called him a “P***” and said: “Shouldn’t even be in this country. I’m English, go back to your own country.”
She acted in a similar manner on July 19 when a street warden checked on her after finding her asleep in nearby Smallbrook Queensway at around 9am.
After being asked to move away from the area, she became abusive, then started shouting and screaming at two PCSOs who were called to the scene to assist.
One of the victims of that incident described Eccleshare as a ‘wild animal’, the court was told.
William Douglas-Jones, defending, stated Eccleshare had been free of drugs whilst in prison.
He said: “This is a woman with significant difficulties who has been gripped by addiction, with a difficult past.
“She has difficulty with drugs which have had a presence in her life since she was 14.
“At the time of the offences she was taking mamba. She wishes to convey her apologies to the officers for the way she treated them.”
Passing sentence Judge Mukherjee said: “This spate of offending is appalling and will not be tolerated.
“Not only is it against emergency workers, public servants, it was during Covid-19 and you were on some
occasions under the influence of drink and drugs.
“You spat at officers, you attacked them racially, you attacked them physically.
“This at a time when respect should have been paramount but you betrayed all of that.
“When you were routinely being challenged why you were doing what you were doing, a barrage of assaults, violence and threats is what you meted out to those officers.”
Eccleshare, previously from Edgbaston, was banned from part of the city centre under a two-year criminal behaviour order (CBO).
Her suspended sentence included 30 days of rehabilitation activity and a six-month curfew from 8pm to 7am.
“I’m giving you a chance, I’m not sure you deserve one,” added Judge Mukherjee.