Woman’s offences ‘are as a result of dementia’ - court

11:13pm Thursday 20th March 2008

A TERMINALLY-ill woman may have started offending as a result of dementia, a court has heard.

Jennifer Lovatt, who is in the second stage of cancer and has only months to live, was described at Worcester Magistrates Court on Wednesday as "nothing but a burden on the prison service".

The 69-year-old, of St Catherine's Vale, off Wyld's Lane, Worcester, is accused of offences including common assault, assaulting police officers, wasting police time - by calling 999 more than 30 times in one day - and public disorder.

On Wednesday, magistrates were given a letter from Eastwood Park prison in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire - where Lovatt has been on remand - informing them of her deteriorating condition.

"She is not coming back to this court," said Nick Roberts, defending. She is not going back to her home address. She is going to die.

"Up until six months ago, Ms Lovatt had not come to the attention of the court justice system.

"There is a suggestion that the offending has co-incided with the onset of Alzheimer's or dementia."

In January, Lovatt - who was unable to attend court on Wednesday - assaulted a police officer. Less than a week later, she assaulted a neighbour and another officer. Douglas Marshall, prosecuting, said: "There is also a charge of making wasteful calls to the emergency services (from August 2007 to January 2008).

"In one three-and-a-half-hour period (on November 15 2007), Ms Lovatt called them 35 times. On each occasion she was offered words of advice and warned about using the 999 number for anything other than emergency calls."

Other incidents referred to in court included Lovatt exposing her breasts to officers and threatening to commit suicide.

"To say it's been quite pitiful representing her is an understatement," said Mr Roberts.

"It's difficult to deal with this lady who is very demanding but in many respects very childlike."

The court heard Ms Lovatt, who has been evicted from her home, is currently in Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, and will be transferred to a hospice.

Taking her condition into consideration, the bench fined Ms Lovatt £150 for each offence. No action was taken in relation to a breach of a conditional discharge or bind over to keep the peace.