Perfume thief spat at, scratched and attempted to bite police officers after theft

A 35-year-old woman spat at, scratched, and attempted to bite four police officers after she stole a bottle of perfume from a town chemist.Kyela Lee appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where she admitted to four counts of assaulting a constable – as well as stealing a bottle of perfume from Boots on the town’s High Street worth £75.She also pleaded guilty to stealing £60.10 worth of pet food and groceries from Aldi in Dereham, and then assaulting the supermarket’s security guard.

Crown prosecutor Nicola Lamb said that on June 6 last year, Lee walked into the supermarket with two family members and put various items into a bag and then a trolley.They paid for some items, but not those hidden in the bag.When walking out, she was approached by the store’s security guard, who was following them while calling 999. Lee threw her fist towards the guard, but did not follow through with the punch.On December 19, Lee entered Boots and took a bottle of perfume from the shelve, removing the security tag and putting it in her jacket.She went on to leave without making payment, but four police officers were present outside the store.The court heard that Lee, of Hawkins Drive in Dereham, spat at one of them, with the saliva landing in his eye.She scratched another officer in the face and then dug her nails into the hand of another.She attempted to bite the final one of them.In mitigation, Lisa Robinson said: “There is a lot going on with Miss Lee.“She doesn’t mix with her previous community of people anymore and suffers with memory loss and epilepsy.“There are so many different aspects that do need exploring. She now recognises that everything was getting out of hand – she has stopped taking drugs and alcohol and has stopped seeing certain family members who she was committing offences with.“There are mental health concerns. A lot is being done now outside of court to help her.”The solicitor urged the probation service to carry out an all-options report before any sentencing, and it agreed.Lee will be sentenced at Norwich Magistrates court on May 15, and has been released on unconditional bail.