A policing boss says prosecutions must always be “a last resort” after a troubled teenager was hauled before the courts for scratching two police officers.
Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes says dangerous behaviour on busy roads puts individuals and the public at risk, but said people “displaying mental ill health” must always be treated with “dignity and compassion”.
Her comments follow the prosecution of a Salford woman who scratched two police officers when they stepped in to pull her to safety on a busy road.
The woman - who the M.E.N. has chosen not to name - has been in court several times having threatened to take her own life in public places.
At her most recent court hearing on Tuesday, the teenager was ordered to pay £100 compensation each to two police officers she scratched while threatening to take her own life.
Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court heard she has a history of mental health problems and has been diagnosed with 'emotional and unstable personality disorder'.
Sadly, there have been a number of occasions when she has threatened to take her own life that have led to her criminal prosecution.
She was last year convicted of causing a 'public nuisance' when she threatened to jump off a motorway bridge in Greater Manchester.
She was convicted of the same charge in similar circumstances later that year.
On both occasions, police argued that her actions caused thousands of motorists to be delayed and cost the taxpayer hundreds of pounds in policing resources.
She was still serving a community order for those offences when she was again arrested by Greater Manchester Police last Sunday (January 12).
The court heard she had once again left hospital before being seen by mental health professionals and officers were called to look for her.
When she was spotted near the East Lancs Road, she ran off, but was detained on the central reservation.
The court heard how she asked to be 'let go' and was 'digging her nails' into the officers' hands.
In a statement read to the court, one of the officers said: "My aim was to protect her from herself and in doing so I then became the victim."
While held in custody, the woman wrote her name in her own blood on the wall of her police cell.
She was subsequently charged with two counts of 'assault by beating of an emergency worker' and criminal damage.
The court heard that the woman was struggling to engage with probation in relation to her previous offences.
District judge John Timperley asked a probation officer in court: “If she's not suitable for a community order, if it's crossed the custody threshold, there's no other alternative than prison, is what I'm getting at?"
The defendant told the court that police had 'grabbed her by the neck' and as a result she had 'scratched back'.
Paperwork relating to her community order had been sent to an old address which is why she hadn’t attended appointments, she said.
The judge said: “It looks like you almost want to be sent to prison.
“If I don't send you to prison are you going to engage [with the community order]?”
She replied: “Yes, I had an appointment this morning, I was going to go."
Judge Timperley continued: "The incident on the East Lancs road was incredibly serious - both you and the officers could have been hurt.
"You must get help for your mental health difficulties rather than wasting the time of people need to provide a service to the public."
The defendant was handed a twelve month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £100 compensation to each of the officers she assaulted, which will be deducted from her Universal Credit.
In the wake of the hearing Salford MP Barbara Keeley described the legal action as 'deeply worrying'.
Mrs Keeley, who is shadow minister for Mental Health, said the young woman, “experiencing a mental health crisis”, should have been taken to hospital, not held in a police cell.
“It’s also concerning that the police in Salford continue to prosecute a young woman with a history of mental health problems for her actions when she was in extreme distress,” she said.
“When the police intervene to support someone in a mental health crisis their role should be to provide support, not to criminalise their actions.
“It’s not at all clear how this prosecution is in the public interest when this young woman is in desperate need of support from mental health services, not fines and criminal convictions.”
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Bev Hughes, has today said police have a duty to protect people but asserted that people with mental health problems must be treated with dignity and compassion.
She said: “Cases such as these are deeply distressing for everyone involved, not least the person concerned, whose behaviour usually reflects a personal mental health crisis.
“I want to stress my view that prosecution must always be the absolute last resort once all other avenues have been explored. I will continue to reinforce this with Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.”
Ms Hughes said a “significant amount of police time” is spent responding to people with mental health challenges and, as such, GMP has introduced mental health nurses in the police control room to advise and assist.
She added: “Dangerous behaviour on busy roads puts at risk not only the person concerned but also the wider public. The police have to protect both and strike the best balance they can in any particular circumstance.
"However, I want to make it clear that when any authority comes into contact with people displaying mental ill health those individuals must always be treated with dignity and compassion.”
GMP said its priority was the welfare of the individual and the public and cases are managed with the NHS, GM Mental Health Services and the National Probation Service when mental health is a factor in criminal proceedings.
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said it could not comment on individual cases but said comprehensive, multi-agency packages of care are in place for people “with these kinds of mental health issues and behaviours”.
Gill Green, director of nursing and governance added: "Enduring complex mental health needs does not exclude individuals from complying with laws which are in place to keep the community safe. There are ways in which laws can be upheld whilst recognising and being empathetic to a person’s mental health and I am confident everyone involved in cases such as these are very aware this.”
