Women sentenced for migrant protest police assaults
Two women who admitted assaulting police officers during an anti-migrant protest have been given suspended jail sentences.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the former Haslar naval base in Gosport, Hampshire, on 22 September, believing that a group of asylum seekers would be landing after being picked up in the Channel.
Sally Pearson, 31, caused ligament damage to an officer when she punched him, and Shannon Dodds, 32, sprayed personal attack deterrent spray into police officers’ faces, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.
Pearson was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for a year. Dodds was sentenced to 10 months, suspended for 18 months.
Hampshire police deployed officers to the town on 22 September “to help facilitate peaceful protest, ensure the safety of the local community and support partners in the event of any emergency at sea”.
A total of 51 migrants were ultimately taken to Dover after their boat, which had travelled to the UK from France, was intercepted.
A dispersal order was in place in the area and the attacks by the two defendants happened as police tried to move protesters to a designated area for demonstration.
Pearson, of Forton Road in Gosport, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and racially aggravated harassment at a previous hearing.
The court heard she punched a police officer with a closed fist, causing suspected ligament damage to his thumb. The injury forced him to be off work for three weeks.
Prosecution barrister James Kellam said the mother-of-three then shouted racial abuse at another officer as they attempted to restrain her.
Defending, James Wing said Pearson, who had no previous convictions, had “reacted badly in a moment of madness”, which she now regretted.
He said Pearson, a full-time carer for her partner, was “deeply remorseful” and had apologised for her actions.
Passing sentence, the judge told her: “Police officers are doing a public duty, they do not deserve to be insulted in that way and not in this unpleasant racial way and they do not deserve to have punches aimed at their faces.”
Pearson was also given a probation supervision order and told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
Kellam said Dodds, of Leonard Road in Gosport, had attended the protest wearing a beanie hat, a face covering and sunglasses in a bid to disguise herself as she stood with arms crossed in front of the police line, refusing to move.
The prosecutor said that after she was pushed by officers in an attempt to move her on, she sprayed a “Walk Easy personal safety repellent” that went into the faces of two constables.
‘Strong feelings’
Kellam said: “It must have been extremely alarming not knowing what has been sprayed in their faces for these two officers.”
He added that the effects had been “short-lived” after they had washed their faces numerous times.
Defending, Wing told the court Dodds had a drinking problem and suffered from “complex PTSD”.
He said she had carried the spray “for personal protection” and had not brought it to the protest with the intention of attacking anyone.
Passing sentence, Judge James Newton-Price KC said: “You expressed strong feelings about the migrant issue having read online information spread by anti-migrants.
“You need to be careful about believing everything you read online and getting stirred up by it.”
Dodds was also ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work and given a probation supervision order.
