A suicidal woman assaulted a police officer over fears her pet crow was scared.
Police attended an address in the village of Bratton, near Westbury, after they were called to a concern for welfare at around 11.30am yesterday morning.
When 33-year-old Naomi Farrow refused to open the door to officers, and her partner, and continued to make suicide threats, PC Baldock smashed through her front door.
Entering the house, the officer walks in slowly. He can’t see Farrow but can see a birdcage in front of him and hear screaming towards him. The officer walked towards the defendant, who is in her living room, and she throws a pair of shoes at him.
PC Baldock is stood near to a birdcage, said to contain a pet crow named Lucifer. Shouting words to the effect of ‘get off my bird, she’s scared’, she pushed him backwards.
In an interview, Farrow said the officer was pushing against the birdcage. She says she asked him to move and admits pushing him in the face using her open palm.
It’s said PC Baldock didn’t obtain any lasting injuries in the assault.
Defending, Farrow’s solicitor told the court, that in his opinion, ‘the police have done more harm than good’ adding that ‘officers breaking in exacerbated the situation resulting in further distress’.
He said his client suffers from a personality disorder along with severe agoraphobia and anxiety.
‘This situation resulted in her being arrested and kept in custody overnight. I fail to see how this is a satisfactory way of dealing with the situation’, he commented.
Adding: ‘The police barging their way in is the only way I see her coming before the court again.
‘I do question whether it was in the public interest to charge and remand her.’
Crown prosecutor Keith Ballinger responded: ‘She assaulted an officer whilst they were carrying out their duties. That’s why it’s in the public interest.
‘When she was charged she said she had no intention of coming to court and wouldn’t answer bail, that’s why she was remanded’.
Magistrates imposed a 12-month conditional discharge, meaning Farrow will not receive a criminal record for the offence if she does not commit further offences within the next year.
‘We feel it is inappropriate to punish you further in the circumstances’, the chairman of the bench said.
