Worksop woman refused to come down from hospital roof for three hours and wasted 20 cops’ time

Ann-Marie Thompson climbed onto the 20-foot high flat first story roof of an electricity substation at Bassetlaw District Hospital and swore at security staff who tried to persuade her to come down on September 17.

Daniel Pietryka, prosecuting, said large areas of the hospital had to be cordoned off, forcing patients to park further away and obliging people in wheelchairs to detour around the cordon while listening to her barrage of abuse.

"At one point 20 police officers were present with specialist extraction equipment," he said.

"Three hours of their time was effectively wasted before she came down from the roof.

"It meant an enormous amount of resources had to be used and inconvenience was caused to NHS staff as well as the police."

The court heard Thompson, aged 28, received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at the crown court on August 22 last year.

Morgan Hogarth, mitigating, said she had been out socially and thinks she consumed a spiked drink. She tried to treat herself at home with orange juice and paracetamol before going to the hospital.

"She said she had been referred to the mental health team," he said. "She then sought to discharge herself."

Thompson, of Cheapside, Worksop, admitted causing a nuisance or disturbance on NHS premises without reasonable excuse, when she appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The presiding magistrate told her: "Apparently this matter is fineable only, but I do need to say you caused a hell of a lot of harm and distress.

"Twenty police officers that could have been doing other things? Absolutely disgraceful. And if we could have done more we would have done.

"You caused a lot of alarm and distress to a lot of public servants who could have been doing better things."

She was fined £120 and ordered to pay a £48 surcharge and £85 costs which "will be added to the rest of the money you already owe to the court”.

The breach of her suspended sentence was referred to Nottingham Crown Court.