A prisoner set free under Keir Starmer’s early release scheme is back behind bars after racially abusing, assaulting and spitting at police officers.
Ross Heathorn, 47, was interviewed outside HMP Wandsworth last September, revealing the first thing he would do with his unexpected freedom was to treat himself to a McDonald’s.
Heathorn had been paroled after serving half of his latest sentence in a criminal career, which spanned thirty-nine offences, and his fast food comment saw the chips jokily dubbed ‘Freedom Fries’.
But he went on to commit offences against four police officers after being reported to the Met while at Wimbledon station in west London.
Heathorn called one officer a ‘p*** c***’ multiple times, another officer a ‘fat slag’ and also forced the police to divert to a hospital after banging his head on the inside of a police van.
He pleaded guilty to the racially aggravated assault of PC Rory Green and PC Umar Choudhury on December 12, last year.
He also admitted to two further counts of assaulting police officers.
At Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court Heathorn, of Orpington, was sentenced to sixteen weeks imprisonment.
Ross Heathorn, 47, was interviewed outside HMP Wandsworth last September, revealing the first thing he would do with his unexpected freedom is treat himself to a McDonald’s
But in court he claimed he had been the one left injured during his arrest, stating he ‘cannot feel’ one of his thumbs.
Prosecutor Joanna Sherman told the court: ‘Police officers were called to Wimbledon station at 7.30pm. The defendant was described as drunk and harassing people in the station.
‘He spat at PC Green and called him a ‘white c***’ as he was assaulting him, and spat at PC Choudhury, calling him a ‘p*** c***’ multiple times.
‘Mr Heathorn was taken to the police van and banged his head multiple times on the inside of the vehicle so severely the police rerouted to St. George’s Hospital for treatment.’
Heathorn pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Stylianos Tsatsas at the hospital.
‘He spat at the officer and it landed on the right side of his forehead,’ added Ms Sherman.
After treatment Heathorn was taken to Wandsworth custody centre, where he verbally abused Sergeant Becky McClunan.
‘He called her a ‘fat slag’ multiple times and kicked his shoe off towards her, with his shoe hitting her.’
Heathorn was released on September 10 alongside around 1,700 other inmates as part of the early release scheme (pictured outside HMP Wandsworth)
Heathorn called one officer a ‘p*** c***’ multiple times, another officer a ‘fat slag’ and also forced the police to divert to a hospital after banging his head on the inside of a police van
Heathorn assaulted two officers at Wimbledon station (stock image), calling one of them a ‘p*** c***’
Heathorn pleaded guilty to assaulting the custody sergeant and using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour towards her.
The career criminal also pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the cell and to later breaching his bail condition to live and sleep at his address.
‘In the cell he defecated and spread his waste on the walls,’ added the prosecutor.
‘He has a significant criminal record, including six offences against the person and in 2023 was convicted of assaulting an emergency worker.’
Heathorn had been released in September under the early release scheme and told reporters how his first stop was going to be at a McDonald’s.
Asked how he was feeling, Heathorn said: ‘I feel good, I’m free.’
Speaking of Wandsworth prison, he added: ‘It’s a bit bad in there, with how officers treat you, but I guess its overcrowded.’
He told reporters he had been in prison for breaching parole conditions, and that he had been released six weeks into a 12 week term.
As he left, Heathorn said: ‘I’m off to McDonald’s.’
Some 1,700 people were released on September 10 last year in a bid to ease the prisons crisis.
The court heard after his release in September, Heathorn was recalled to prison and then released again in November.
He complained in court that he was recalled to prison for being two hours late for a Probation Service appointment and was frustrated by the post-custody services he receives.
‘I had some bad news and my head was gone,’ he told the court from the dock. ‘I have been managing everything on my own, but they make things worse, they keep pushing my buttons.
‘Instead of helping me I have been homeless for a year and I have only just got a place now. I am bipolar.
The court also heard that Heathorn owes £15,883 in outstanding court fines, costs and compensation for previous offences
Heathorn was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court (pictured)
‘I was released again in November and then I was recalled that same day because I was two hours late to probation.’
Regarding the latest offences he explained: ‘I was drunk and walking along and telling people to stay away from me and the police put their hands on me and I reacted. I’m sorry for what I did.’
Heathorn did not attend an appointment to complete a pre-sentence report for the court so was dealt with without one.
‘They are not listening to me,’ he complained. ‘They are driving me mental and are on their computer when I am trying to talk to them.
‘I am not seeing a doctor or any mental health people.
‘I gave up heroin, I did that myself and not many people do that. It is hard. How do I keep it together?
‘Also I still cannot feel my thumb here due to the police,’ he added, claiming that he was injured when arrested.
The court also heard that Heathorn still owes £15,883 in outstanding court fines, costs and compensation for previous offences.
Deputy District Judge Peter Hayes told him: ‘These offences are such that they demand a prison sentence of some type.
‘Often when people have mental health issues that is a good reason to suspend the sentence, however you recently had a suspended sentence and you breached it.
‘The most serious offences are clearly spitting at the police officers and in one case it landing on the officer’s face and racially abusing the officers.
‘The offences are also aggravated by your large number of previous criminal convictions.
‘You owe the court an amount that is never going to be paid so even though the officers deserve compensation I am not going to order it.
‘You will now be on supervision for up to a year after you are released and it is up to you to attend appointments, which give you a fighting chance of staying out of prison.’
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans in July to temporarily cut the proportion of sentences inmates must serve behind bars from 50 percent to 40 percent as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said overcrowding had pushed jails to the ‘point of collapse’.
Campaigners and charities warned that the scheme may come at the expense of women and children’s safety, while others raised concerns that it would push probation services to breaking point.
It was feared up to a third of those released in September would reoffend.
Crimes exempt from the early release scheme included prisoners sentences for sexual and violent offences of over four years.
