Woman pulled knife on cleaning lady at Mansfield shopping centre

Victoria Bartlam approached the ladies' toilets, at 5.30pm, on October 27, 2021, only to be told they were closed for cleaning, said prosecutor Daniel Wilshaw.

She turned around and said ‘you’re joking’, before trying to get into the gents’.

When the cleaner said she could not use those toilets, Bartlam pulled a kitchen knife and said: “Really?”

“She was shocked and very scared," Mr Wilshaw said. “In her statement, she said ‘I panicked. I could tell she really meant it’.”

As Bartlam was arrested, she struggled and kicked out, hitting one police officer in the leg.

Bartlam, aged 28, of Summerway, Ratcliffe-on-Trent, admitted common assault and possession of a knife at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court.

Anna Sood, mitigating, said Bartlam has a ‘long history of mental health issues and alcohol issues’.

The case was adjourned for probation reports until July 28.