A hedge trimmer thief has been jailed after she spat at police officers and claimed to have hepatitis.
Sharon Skelton, 47, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted stealing a hedge trimmer from a woman, who was chatting to a friend while taking a break from pruning her garden.
However, an eagle-eyed neighbour spotted Skelton making off with the hedge trimmer and photographed her before posting it on Facebook.
When police went to arrest Skelton she assaulted the officers and spat, stating: “I’ve got the Hep!”
Accused seen running away with hedge trimmer
Fiscal depute Brian Young told the court that on the morning of November 12 2020 a woman was using her hedge trimmer in her garden and had left the front door open of her Peterhead property to allow her cats to come and go.
“She left a number of gardening tools on her landing at the bottom of the staircase and went to greet a friend,” he said.
“When she returned, she noticed that something from the bottom of the stairs was missing, but at that time, was unsure what was missing.”
As Skelton made off with the hedge trimmer a neighbour’s suspicions were raised and took a photograph of her and posted it to Facebook.
The hedge trimmer’s owner reported the matter to the police when she saw the Facebook post and recognised that it was her garden equipment that Skelton was carrying.
‘I’ve got the Hep!’
Police arrested Skelton and as she was being led to a police van she spat at an officer’s chest.
As two officers applied a spit hood to Skelton, she kicked out at one of the constables, striking him in the leg.
Skelton was taken to Fraserburgh Police Station and placed in a cell whereby she again spat in one constable’s face with flecks landing on a second officer’s stab-proof vest.
She then shouted: “I’ve got the Hep!”
Skelton pleaded guilty to one charge of theft and four charges of assault involving police officers.
‘Despicable’
Defence solicitor Sam Milligan told the court that his client had experienced a “turbulent upbringing” and that addiction to illegal drugs had begun a “downward trajectory thereafter”.
“Ms Skelton does not suggest that her behaviour towards these officers was anything other than despicable,” he said.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Skelton that his solicitor was correct to point out that her actions towards police “were indeed despicable”.
He added: “You have charges involving spitting and kicking police officers among other violence.
“It’s well understood that people who behave in this fashion are at risk of receiving a prison sentence, and I believe only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
Sheriff Buchanan sentenced Skelton, of Castle Woods, Cruden Bay, to a period of imprisonment of 14 months and 11 days.
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