Mentally-ill man threatened an office employee and assaulted a support worker

A mentally-ill man has been given a chance after he threatened one staff member and attacked another at a care home.
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Sean Heaps, 33, of Acacia Lodge, on Sandham Lane, Ripley, had committed the two offences against two female staff members on two different occasions when he had demanding cigarettes.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop told a Chesterfield magistrates’ court hearing on Tuesday, August 22: “He came asking for a couple of cigarettes and the complainant said he needed to see a nurse.”

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However, the defendant threatened to break the complaint’s nose, according to Mrs Allsop, and he was waving his fists and banging on the glass to the administration workers’ office and he threatened to break the door down and the complainant had to press a safety alarm.

Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Mrs Allsop added that during a separate incident over a month later, Heaps was refusing to leave the office area at the home when he wanted a cigarette and he grabbed a support worker’s wrist and he slammed her into the a door as he was throwing his arms around.

Heaps told police that during the first incident he must have lost his temper and during the second incident he had reacted because he claimed the support worker had grabbed him by his arms but he accepted that she is allowed to do this.

The defendant pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour on May 1 and admitted assault by beating from June 11.

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Defence solicitor Steve Brint said Heaps has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and has been in and out of hospitals and he is staying at Acacia Lodge which caters for people with mental health issues.

He added that Heaps sees psychiatrists and nurses on a regular basis and he is welcome to continue staying at the same residential home.

Magistrates sentenced Heaps to a 12 month conditional discharge but if he commits another crime in the next year he will be sentenced for any new offence and re-sentenced for the threatening behaviour and the assault.

He was also ordered to pay £150 compensation, a £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs.