A Sheffield burglar who assaulted police officers urinated and defecated in a police van

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 11 how Emma Carlisle, aged 41, of Club Garden Road, Highfield, Sheffield, burgled student accommodation on Arundel Gate with two others and they stole hundreds of pounds worth of items belonging to two students.

Fatima Zafar, prosecuting, said CCTV showed three figures in the foyer including Carlisle who had two bags and a rucksack.

The court heard stolen goods included a computer console, games, alcohol and other items valued about £1,000.

Carlisle told police she had sold some items to fund her drug use.

She pleaded guilty to the dwelling burglary from February 18 but after she had failed to attend a court hearing she was arrested on April 13 on Woodseats Road, Sheffield.

Carlisle refused to get in a police van and she became aggressive, according to Ms Zafar.

Ms Zafar said the defendant said she was going to urinatte in the van. She said: “The defendant did so by pulling her trousers down urinating and defecating in the van cage and banging her head against the van cage door.”

Carlisle had to be taken to hospital, according to Ms Zafar, and as she continued making threats she spat at a police officer.

Ms Zafar added Carlisle’s bad behaviour continued at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital and as she was being taken to a toilet she kicked the shin of a police officer.

A custody sergeant later decided the defendant needed to be returned to hospital, according to Ms Zafar, and as she was being escorted to the police van she scratched a police officer and spat at another officer.

Ms Zafar said after Carlisle was checked out again at the hospital she again urinated in the police van.

She added: “The van had to be sent for a deep-clean due to the faeces and urine in the cage.”

Carlisle, who has previous convictions involving 103 offences, also pleaded guilty to three offences of assaulting an emergency worker and to causing criminal damage to the van.

Francis Edusei, defending, said: “She has a long, sad history of offending but dwelling-burglaries are not her modus operandi. She was plainly being led along by one or two of the others.”

Mr Edusei added Carlisle had been homeless at the time and her drug addiction had been raging.

Carlisle has suffered with drug and alcohol abuse, according to Mr Edusei, and she had been under the influence of alcohol during her bad behaviour in April.

Judge Roger Thomas told Carlisle: “At the age of 41 you have been in a massive amount of trouble over many years and there have been all sorts of orders made by the court for all sorts of offences and if you stand back and look at it you have really made a mess of it so far.”

He added: “These days who knows what condition someone is in when they are spitting out?”

However, Judge Thomas concluded there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation for Carlisle and he sentenced her to 18 months of custody suspended for 12 months with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.