A man who racially abused and spat at police officers said “things eat at his head” and “make him say things”, a court has heard.
Lee Mansfield, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for criminal damage to property, assault by beating of an emergency worker, and a racially aggravated incident. Lionel Cope, prosecuting, told the court that on December 28, Mansfield was residing at Longview House, an assisted living facility.
PC Terry was told by a colleague about reports of somebody being aggressive towards staff, throwing furniture, and throwing himself to the ground causing injuries to his head at Longview House. Mansfield, 48, had bandages put on his head by staff, and PC Terry, along with other officers, attempted to restrain him.
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Mr Cope said during the restraint, Mansfield aimed a racial slur at PC Terry, and she audibly gasped in disgust. She challenged him on the language used, and completed a welfare check, but during this time he repeated the slur four more times.
In a statement read out by the prosecution, PC Terry said: “I do not come to work to be subject to this kind of abuse. No-one should have to be subject to this type of language.”
The officer also said Mansfield, of Longview Drive, Huyton, had previously made racist comments to other staff members at his accommodation, and he “seemed proud of what he had said”. She said: “I fear that if he is not dealt with robustly then he will continue and someone else will fall victim to his escalating behaviour.”
In an interview with police, Mansfield said: “Things eat at my head and make me say things, things that I do are dangerous but I still do them anyway.” The following day after being released on bail, Mansfield returned to Longview House and purposefully set off the fire alarm in the building.
He told staff: “It’s my mental health, I am not bothered, I want to be arrested and I don’t want to live here anymore.” Staff informed him that was the wrong way to go about moving facilities, and helped him return to his room.
But he left the room and set the fire alarm off again. Mansfield then began to smash items in his room, including a chair, plant pot, a ceramic dish and a television belonging to Richmond Fellowship charity which runs the property.
Mansfield also picked up a table and attempted to flip it while another resident was eating on it. PC Peacock arrived and tried to restrain Mansfield, but found him spitting on his pillow which he said was due to obsessive compulsive disorder.
He then spit in the officer's direction, and was warned he would be arrested further if he spat again, which he said he understood. At around 3.45am, Mansfield spat directly at the officer again, which landed on the left leg of his trousers, so was re-arrested.
In another interview, Mansfield admitted to causing damage but said things “get into his head so he has to do it”. He also admitted to spitting at the officer but claimed he didn’t know it was an offence, but knew “it wasn’t a nice thing to do”.
Quentin Neal, defending, said a change of medication caused a dramatic change in Mansfield’s behaviour leading to these offences. He detailed that Mansfield has no previous convictions and since this offence, he has fractured his own neck during an act of self harm.
District Judge James Hatton said: “Spitting on anybody is about the most despicable thing you can do, let alone somebody working in their duty as an officer.” He added: “It is highly unusual to find that spate of offences that have come out of apparently nowhere.”
Mansfield was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months. He was ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation days, and pay £100 in compensation to each of the officers plus £120 towards compensation costs and £154 victim surcharge.
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