Two in court following knife crime team action across Mansfield area

Officers were out on patrol when they made the two separate arrests on their afternoon shift.

The first happened while the team were in Wallis Road, Mansfield, at 3.30pm on Wednesday, January 3.

That’s when officers spotted and detained Lisa Spencer, who intelligence suggested had been involved in a series of vehicle offences.

Police received reports of three car door handles being tried in the early hours of December 15, 2023.

An attempt was also then made to steal items from a fourth vehicle, all of which were parked in Hardy Place, Mansfield.

Spencer, 39, would go on to be charged with three counts of vehicle interference and attempted theft from a motor vehicle.

Having pleaded guilty at Mansfield Magistrates' Court on Thursday, January 4, Spencer, of Bailey Crescent, Mansfield, was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison.

Following Spencer's arrest, the knife crime team resumed their patrol – this time in the Sutton area.

Officers then pulled over a vehicle that aroused their suspicions in Penny Emma Way, at around 6.30pm.

A search was subsequently carried out of the car, which resulted in an extendable baton being discovered and seized by police.

Charlie Whitford, of Liversedge, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, was later charged with possessing an offensive weapon in public.

The 19-year-old was released on bail and is due to appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, January 23.

PC Dean Fenton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Our main focus as a knife crime team is obviously to take weapons off our streets, but we also keep an eye out for other offending too.

“By going out on daily patrols like we do, we often come across a variety of different types of crime, from drug activity to offences involving vehicles.

“These two jobs provided a good example of this, so we’re pleased to see both of the suspects we arrested have now charged, with Spencer since owning up to her offending and being handed a jail sentence.”