South Yorkshire woman gets a suspended prison sentence after she assaulted a police officer

Katie Ramsden, aged 32, of Mallory Road, East Herringthorpe, Rotherham, kicked the police officer’s shin during attempts to restrain her at her grandmother’s property in Rotherham, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, told the hearing on March 12 that the defendant’s grandmother called police to say Ramsden had a hammer and was shouting and throwing objects.

Mr Nassiri said: “Two officers arrived and saw her rummaging through her pockets and looking agitated and she was foaming at the mouth and she was asked to keep her hands where they could be seen.

"She refused and became agitated and they approached and she started screaming and shouting at the officers.”

Mr Nassiri added that while the defendant was being handcuffed during the incident on April 8, 2020, she kicked out backwards and connected with the shin of one of the officers.

In a separate incident, Mr Nassiri said that Ramsden was also found by police on May 5, 2020, at a bus stop in Rotherham with a lock knife in her trouser leg.

Ramsden pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker from April 8, 2020, and to possessing a bladed article after the incident on May 5, 2020.

Joy Merriam, defending, said the defendant had not intended to harm the police officer and she would not have behaved the way she did if she had been in her right mind.

Ms Merriam added: “She deeply regrets the incident and is sorry for her actions. She’s extremely fearful of the effect of a custodial sentence and she could lose her home which she has had for a number of years.”

Judge Peter Kelson QC warned Ramsden that carrying weapons is a very serious matter and assaulting police officers is wholly unacceptable behaviour.

He sentenced Ramsden to six months of custody suspended for two years with 100 hours of unpaid work and a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

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