Sheffield Crown Court: Inmate who attacked prison officer pleads with judge not to jail her again

Sheffield Crown Court heard on November 16 how former inmate Jane Barton, aged 46, of Junction Walk, Barnsley, had been in prison in Surrey when she repeatedly insulted a prison officer before she attacked her.

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said Barton had used baseless insults when she called the guard a ‘nonce’ and a ‘pervert’ in March, 2020, and eventually attacked her in April, 2020, by pulling her hair out, biting her and punching her.

Mr Jones explained Barton grabbed the officer’s head from behind when her cell door was open and pulled her braided hair, bit her index finger and punched her face.

The judge – Recorder Richard Thyne KC – told Barton: “Your assault on her had a profound effect and far-reaching impact. She suffers with PTSD. She lost her accommodation because of this and she lost the front part of her hair. I accept you did not intend all of the consequences when you committed this offence. You gave it no thought at all, but you are responsible for causing all of that harm.”

The complainant stated she now feels anxious and suffers with PTSD, and after her concerned mother had visited her home during the Covid-19 pandemic her landlord forced her to leave because of the lockdown breach.

Barton, who has 31 previous convictions including two assaults and a robbery, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm after the attack.

The defendant told the court she is seeing a drug-support worker, she has a job and is now pregnant.

Recorder Thyne recognised Barton has had personal difficulties and trauma and she has been engaging with drug-support services.

Barton pleaded with Recorder Thyne: “Please don’t send me to jail. I have had enough.”

When questioned about doing unpaid work as an alternative to prison, Barton said: “Yeah. I will do it. I will give it a go, but I have never done it before.”

Recorder Thyne sentenced Barton to 18 months of custody suspended for two years with 120 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation requirement. Barton was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order to protect the officer.