Sheffield Crown Court: Mum worried about son's drug issues crashed into vehicles and kicked officer

Sheffield Crown Court heard on May 16 how Linda Scarfe-Hoyle, aged 42, of Granville Street, aWilthorpe, Barnsley, had gone to the County Way car park, in the town, and had got involved in an altercation after she had approached people about her son being sold drugs.

Caroline Abraham, prosecuting, told the court the defendant spoke to others about her son being sold drugs and following an altercation she reversed her VW Tiguan car and drove into a Vauxhall Astra vehicle and did the same to a Fiat 500 car.

Ms Abraham said: “She reversed and drove into a black Astra causing damage to that vehicle. She reversed into another vehicle – a white Fiat 500 – causing damage to the front end of the vehicle before she had driven away.”

Police arrested Scarfe-Hoyle at her mother’s home and as she was escorted by police she fell, kicked out and became aggressive, according to Ms Abraham, and as the defendant was led into a vehicle she kicked an officer in the chest four times.

Scarfe-Hoyle, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to careless driving and to assaulting an emergency worker after the incident on November 3, 2020.

Dermot Hughes, defending, said Scarfe-Hoyle suffers with health problems and she very much regrets what happened.

Mr Hughes added Scarfe-Hoyle was labouring under problems created by others – particularly drug dealers – and the effects they were having on her son.

Judge David Dixon told Scarfe-Hoyle he recognised her son had been showing promise until things started to go wrong.

He said: “The stress and pressure of seeing things, and seeing things going wrong quickly, led to you doing something you should not have.”

Judge Dixon added: “Your driving, whatever led to it, was stupid and whatever led to it was careless and it led to problems and there was damage to vehicles and others were put at risk.”

Judge Dixon who acknowledged Scarfe-Hoyle has suffered a “tragedy” and undergone hospital treatment sentenced her to a two-year community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

She was also fined £250 and had eight penalty points placed upon her driving licence.