Woman threatened her dad with knife and spat at officers
A WOMAN threatened her father with a knife, spat at two police officers and kicked a police car window before assaulting a custody detention officer.
Nicola Jones then laughed in her interview when she was asked about damaging the police vehicle, and claimed she could not remember anything else before refusing to answer any more questions.
Sentencing her at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Richard Twomlow said: “What happened on that day was disgraceful.”
The court heard the offending happened in Cwmbran on February 12 when she went to visit her father, who was living in accommodation for people aged over 50 with disabilities.
Jason Howells, prosecuting, said 59-year-old David Donovan was expecting his son and opened the door when he heard the buzzer. He said he only saw his daughter when she wanted food or money and described her “barging in” and “forcing him out of the way”.
The court heard her behaviour was “unpredictable” and she shouted something about not receiving her benefit payment before going into the kitchen and picking up a knife.
Prosecutors said she was “irate” and screamed: “I’m going to stab you.”
Mr Donovan managed to restrain her and told her to drop the knife and sit at the table. He called the police who arrived just before 9.50am.
PC Michael Parfitt spoke to the defendant, but she would not listen and continued to swear at them. She was warned about her behaviour and he persuaded her to go into the car park, where she was handcuffed and put into the back of a police car.
PC Parfitt heard a “thud” and saw her lying on her back with her feet in the air kicking the back window.
Prosecutors said they called for a van and had to restrain her while they waited, as she tried to throw herself at the police car. The court heard PC Laura Walden arrested her for making threats to kill and causing criminal damage.
Jones was heard to say: “I’ll plead guilty to get a lesser sentence so I can come out and kill you.”
She kicked out at PC Walden’s shin and could be heard retching on the floor, before spitting at the officers.
Jones was placed in a spit hood and had to be lifted into the police van.
The defendant refused to get out at the police station in Newport and custody detention officer Andrea King brought out a wheelchair.
Mr Howells said Jones, who was still handcuffed and wearing a spit hood, struck the officer’s face with the back of her head. She was cautioned again and continued to swear.
During her police interview the following day, she remained silent when asked if she had threatened her father. She denied assaulting the police officers and said they bruised her.
Asked if she damaged the police car, she laughed and said: “Guilty, yes I did.”
Jones stated she could not remember what happened, as she had not taken her medication and refused to answer any more questions.
Her dad, who has schizophrenia, said he feared for his life during the incident and could not believe his daughter was threatening him.
PC Walden, who has been a police officer for two years, said she was reconsidering her career.
Prosecutors said Jones had a “lengthy” criminal record, including 14 previous offences of assaulting emergency workers. The judge noted she had been fined in the past and said that seemed “lenient”, adding: “She has a dreadful record for this sort of behaviour.”
Jones, 36, from Bacon Place in Newport, admitted affray, criminal damage and three counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
Gareth Williams, defending, wrote to the court asking for the case to be brought forward. He said her mother died while she was in custody and asked the judge to consider an alternative to a jail sentence so she could go to the funeral. The court heard prisons sometimes make arrangements for inmates to attend funerals, but that is not happening during the pandemic.
Judge Twomlow said: “Exceptionally I am going to suspend the sentence. It is only in these particular circumstances I feel able to do that. This sort of offending usually results in an immediate prison sentence.”
Jones was given a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 20 days of a rehabilitation activity. The judge made a five-year restraining order preventing her from contacting her father.