South Yorkshire cop bitten as two female burglars arrested

Danielle Griffiths and Stacey Patton were captured by the neighbours of a 62-year-old man after they stole clothing, glasses, religious books and a handheld computer game from his home in Rotherham, at 9pm on May 10, prosecutor Louise Reevell, said on Wednesday.

A police officer described their behaviour as "aggressive" and they "were under the influence of alcohol or drugs."

Griffiths was taken to hospital as it was feared she had overdosed, where leg restraints and handcuffs had to be used to stop her lashing out. She bit a female officer twice on the arm and left "red teeth marks," Ms Reevell said.

The court heard Griffiths had to be Tasered after she was seen brandishing a wheel brace outside her mother's home, in January 2020.

As she was carried into the police van she kicked out at one officer and kicked another who tried to confiscate a bottle of alcohol from her.

Patton has three previous convictions for burglary, with 14 convictions for 30 offences, 21 of which are for theft.

There was a gap in offending between 2012 to 2020, but she was back in court on February 25 for burglary, and received a 12 month sentence, suspended for two years.

Dermot Hughes, mitigating for Patton, said drug rehabilitation facilities were not available because of the Covid 19 pandemic, but she hopes to live in Barnsley with her family on her release.

“Both were intoxicated,” he said. “There was no planning – they literally stumbled in and stumbled out.”

Joy Merriam said Griffiths has "substantial mental health problems" who couldn’t remember the January assaults because she “reacted adversely to medication.”

The pair were in a relationship which has now ended, she told the court, and their drug use "spiralled out of control."

Griffiths, 28, and Patton, 35, both of Hartington Road, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to burglary.

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, told them the “genesis of their criminality” is “their hopeless addiction to drugs.”

He sentenced Patton to four years and Griffiths to two years and four months.

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