Sutton man assaulted cop after being mistaken for burglar in pal’s house at Christmas
A Sutton man who assaulted a policeman when he was mistaken for a burglar had just woken up in his next door neighbour's home after being invited over for a Christmas drink, a court has heard.
Police found Ryan Yemm shouting aggressively, and “under the influence of something", when they arrived at the address on Jubilee Road, at 10.30pm on December 28, following reports of a break-in, said Michael Little, prosecuting,
When they decided to force entry by smashing a glass pane in the door, Yemm, aged 42, spat at one of the officers.
But it wasn't clear if his spittle actually landed.
The court heard he has 28 previous convictions for 76 offences and his record is aggravated by six assaults on emergency workers between 1999 and 2007.
He also received a 20 week sentence, suspended for two years, for assault causing bodily harm and battery against police officers in November 2023.
Mark Stocks, mitigating, said Yemm deserved maximum credit for his guilty plea, described his own behaviour as "disgusting," and has “shown a considerable degree of remorse.”
He described the incident as “an awful misunderstanding” which happened when his next door neighbour invited him round for a Christmas drink, and the pair “consumed a considerable amount of alcohol together.”
Yemm fell asleep and his neighbour nipped out and locked him inside the property, Mr Stocks said.
But someone called the police and reported a break-in. Yemm woke up in a "drunken and argumentative state."
“There is an interaction as they tried to ascertain why he is in the property and he is trying to explain he is not a burglar but he was locked in and can't get out,” he said.
While he was in cusody and sobering up his neighbour explained what happened to the police.
Mr Stocks argued it would be unjust to activate the suspended sentence because of Yemm’s “high degree of compliance” with the terms of the suspended sentence, which also included an alcohol abstinence and monitoring order as well as unpaid work.
Yemm, of Jubilee Road, Sutton, admitted assaulting of an emergency worker when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
He was ordered to pay a total of £1,185 in fines and court costs.