Spitting Hereford woman made racist comments to paramedic

Natasha Ashby entered guilty pleas to three counts of assaulting an emergency worker by beating, one of assaulting an emergency worker, and one of racially aggravated assault when she appeared before magistrates in Hereford in February.

Police had attended Ashby's home after they were called to reports of an incident on February 4, prosecutor Melanie Winterflood said.

An agitated Ashby came out into the hallway, and was not compliant when she was told she was under arrest.

She was taken to the floor, but when an officer attempted to remove a can of alcohol from her hand, she kicked him, before spitting in another officer's face, and digging her nails into the first officer's hand, breaking the skin.

Ashby had also attempted to remove her trousers, telling officers she was going to defecate, the court was told.

In police interview, Ashby said officers had grabbed her first and thrown her head against the floor, and that she had scratches caused by both officers.

She accepted that she had assaulted them after being shown body-worn camera footage.

The other offences had happened on October 11 after Ashby was assaulted and paramedics were called to her aid.

But she became aggressive and abusive while en-route to the hospital, magistrates heard.

Police were called and Ashby, who had been spitting at staff in the emergency department, was restrained on the floor.

But she continued to shout, swear, and spit at nurses and paramedics, telling one paramedic to "go back to your own country".

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The court heard Ashby has a number of convictions, and was subject to a community order at the time of the February offences.

Marilena Di Vitantonio, for Ashby, said that the 20-year-old had a number of issues, and that she is mentally much younger than her age.

"She has a mental age of about 12," Miss Di Vitantonio said.

"That would explain the behaviour she shows when she is arrested. It's fight or flight for her."

Miss Di Vitantonio said she had to accept that the matters pass the custody threshold, but asked for a suspended sentence to be considered.

"Nobody wants to go to prison, but she is extremely vulnerable," she said.

The case was sent for a pre-sentencing report to be carried out.

Ashby, of Springfield Avenue, Hereford, will appear before magistrates in Hereford for sentencing on April 24.

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