Friday 9 February 2018

Solicitor Back In Dock: Bit WPC After Being Tasered Outside Home

A lawyer, who viciously scratched a WPC after she was tasered outside her £800,000 home, received a suspended prison sentence yesterday.

Family Law specialist Ofra Freedman, 52, was challenged because she had a kitchen knife in her pocket, but refused to comply with police instructions.

She pleaded guilty to possessing a blade in Tenterden Drive, Hendon on December 1, last year and assaulting the officer at the Royal Free Hospital.

Freedman was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment, suspended for twelve months and must comply with ten days of Probation Service-ordered rehabilitation.

She must also pay the WPC £100 compensation; £200 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

“We are thinking about a risk assessment because now a knife is involved,” said Willesden magistrate Claudia Allen, ruling the offences were aggravated by causing an injury and a previous conviction for assaulting police.

Prosecutor Me. Terence Enewman told the court: “It was 2.45pm when police were called by a member of the public to reports of a female armed with a knife.

“In Tenterden Drive they saw the female had a glazed expression and was red-dot challenged with a taser because a knife was sticking out of her jacket pocket.

“She reached for her pocket and the taser was deployed, but was ineffective.”

A bodyworn police camera showed the taser striking Freedman, but having no obvious effect.

She had a cut to her finger and was taken to the local Royal Free due to her aggressive and erratic behaviour.

“She dug into the arm of the police officer with her fingernails, causing several scratches and abrasions.”

Freedman says she has developed a phobia of police officers and produced a letter from her GP to support the claim.

“I went into a state of shock and panic when stopped by the police and I went into a seizure,” she told the court.

“At the hospital I was anxious and worried and I accept I was reckless, it was not a deliberate assault on the officer and was brought on by my phobia.”

Freedman, who has enjoyed a twenty-five year career in the legal profession was convicted in February, last year of assaulting two police officers during an alcohol-fueled disturbance at her house.

After downing four bottles of wine and a bottle and a half of vodka she kicked one PC in the knee and aimed a spit at a WPC.  

She is currently subject to a suspended sentence from Harrow Crown Court for a racially-aggravated public order offence and has another conviction for causing criminal damage.

Freedman told the court she stopped drinking last summer. “A jewish charity is helping me with agoraphobia and issues of depression.”

Freedman says she was walking to a local park on the day with some fruit to have an impromptu picnic to raise her spirits and had no intention to harm herself or others with the knife.

She was unhappy about the presence of a reporter in court and asked: “Can I object to the press being here?”

Outside she said: “These stories about me are ruining my life. I’m a solicitor for God’s sake and I have not done anything wrong.”

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