Woman kicked 'police officer in groin and smeared menstrual blood around police van' after Co-op incident

Dee Sheldon had initially called police herself, claiming she had been assaulted, following an altercation with her ex-boyfriend, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Wednesday, October 6.

But when officers arrived at the scene, at the Co-op store, in Tibshelf, on January 1 this year, the 19-year-old had become aggressive after her ex made a counter allegation, the court heard.

Prosecuting, Lynn Bickley told the court: “She was walking around the carpark and swearing at the top of her voice and she then held onto a fence to stop police from arresting her.

“She ended up on her back in the rear of the police van and she kicked out hard and hit the police officer in the groin area and he described feeling instant pain and discomfort.

“She continued to kick and bang in the back of the vehicle as she was driven to the police station. She then pulled out a tissue which was covered in blood from her groin area and began to smear it around the cage area, and officers believe that it was menstrual blood. She told police that she didn’t think anyone was listening to her.”

Sheldon, who now lives in sheltered accommodation in Commercial Gate, Mansfield, lived at Gladstone Street, South Normanton, at the time the offences were committed.

She admitted assaulting an emergency worker, threatening behaviour and criminal damage when she appeared before the court.

The reasons for the initial call out were not pursued by the police, the court heard.

Mitigating, Ben Strelley said: “The reason she was so unhappy is because the police were arresting her for something she had not done, and she was upset because she was being taken away and she had never been taken away by the police before. She had arranged to meet her ex outside the Co-op and she thought it was going to be a short meeting and she hadn’t put a tampon in.”

Magistrates gave Sheldon a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £130 in compensation and a £21 victim surcharge.

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