Teenage girl, 18, admits beating two male police officers in violent bust-up at sex health clinic then striking policewoman with a book while in custody
- Honor Sophia Whyte, 18, attacked the officers at Monkgate Sexual Health Clinic
A teenage girl today admitted to beating two male police officers at a sexual health clinic before striking a policewoman with a book while in custody.
Honor Sophia Whyte, 18, kicked, spat at and tried to bite the officers when they were called to Monkgate Sexual Health Clinic in York after she refused to leave.
She was taken to a local police station where she hit a female officer with a 342-page code of practice paperback book.
The case was listed for a one-day trial before JPs in York today despite defence pleas that Whyte should be spared prosecution.
But after Crown lawyers pressed ahead with the charges, she changed her pleas and admitted three counts of assaulting emergency workers by beating.
Honor Sophia Whyte, 18, kicked, spat at and tried to bite the officers when they were called to Monkgate Sexual Health Clinic in York after she refused to leave
PC Smith, PC Tuffts, and PC Garside were all assaulted by Whyte
Whyte spoke only to confirm she understood what was happening and to whisper ‘Thank you’ as she was freed on unconditional bail to await sentence.
Crown lawyers said the guilty pleas were accepted on the basis Whyte acted with recklessness during a mental health episode.
Prosecutor Angela Terenzini said: ‘Officers were called to the Monkgate Sexual Health Clinic because a non-compliant patient was refusing to leave the clinic, which was shutting, despite being asked by a member of staff.’
Two male officers, referred to only as Pc Tuffts and Pc Garside, tried to calm White down by asking what they could do to help, the court heard.
But she was not willing to listen and resisted attempts by the medical staff to get her to leave, the court heard.
Miss Terenzini added: ‘She became aggressive – shouting and screaming. She threatened to attack members of staff. She began to kick out at both officers in the room and attempted to bite them.
‘She kicked out. She threatened to kick both officers in the head and threatened to attack them if she saw them on the street.
Crown lawyers said the guilty pleas were accepted on the bases Whyte acted with recklessness during a mental health episode
‘She was coaxed into a (police) van by the officers. She sat down on a bench in the van and spat out at the officers through the open door, hitting Pc Garside on the forearm.
‘She was arrested again for spitting at Pc Garside and continued to behave in an aggressive and violent manner.’
It was while being held at a local police station that the third officer, a female referred to only as Pc Smith, was assaulted by the defendant.
Miss Terenzini continued: ‘While in custody she was placed on cell watch. She attempted to spit at Pc Smith and struck Pc Smith across the shoulder with the Code of Practice Book.’
Whyte, who was living in Scarborough, at the time of the incident on June 20 last year, had been said at previous hearings to be living with her mother in the family home in Harrogate.
The disturbance is alleged to have taken place at the Monkgate Health Centre in York on June 20 last year
She said today she was of no fixed address.
The teenager was bailed to appear back at the same court for sentence on June 9 to allow for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Nothing was said about the options the report would explore but the charge sheet states the maximum penalty on each charge is six months custody.
Philip Brown, mitigating, said: ‘There is a complex personal history which impacts on Miss Whyte and goes directly to her level of culpability of the offences.’
