Woman who has ‘worst record’ for attacking PSNI officers due back in court

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/woman-who-has-worst-record-for-attacking-psni-officers-due-back-in-court/a1332674775.html

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She once listed her workplace on social media as Hydebank Prison.

Ciaran O’Neill
Today at 11:46

A woman once said to have the worst record in Northern Ireland for attacking police officers is due back in court this week.

Natasha Nalty is charged with trying to bring drugs into a prison.

Nalty, who is originally from Belfast but now lives in Coleraine, has more than 150 previous convictions. She once listed her workplace on social media as Hydebank Prison.

Nalty is due before Limavady Magistrates Court this week where, along with the alleged prison offence, she will be charged with possession of drugs.

Both offences are alleged to have happened on October 6 this year. It will be the latest in a long number of court appearances for the 35-year-old.

In 2011, Nalty caused cartilage damage to a police officer’s nose during an attack in Belfast.

The court heard she had accompanied her boyfriend, who was facing two charges of robbery, to a police station in the city.

Her boyfriend was said to have drank alcohol and was about to be arrested for breach of a bail condition when Nalty lashed out.

The judge was told that, at the time, Nalty had 131 convictions on her criminal record, including 40 counts of assault on police.

In relation to the case, Lord Justice Coghlin stated: “This is a clear case of someone who is a threat at least to members of the police, if not to the rest of the country.”

During another case in May 2014, Nalty failed to turn up in court to be sentenced for assaulting four police officers and a bench warrant was issued for her arrest. Her solicitor told the court he had no difficulty with the warrant being issued.

“Her record is about the worst record there is,” said the solicitor.

“It’s been highly publicised that she has the worst record in Northern Ireland for assaulting police.”

In a separate incident, Nalty admitted headbutting her neighbour during a row over loud music on Boxing Day in 2015.

A court was told police were called to Mount Street in Coleraine, where a Polish national had a cut to his forehead. He said he was attacked by Nalty, who also broke a window at the property.

The injured party said he was at the address when Nalty started hurling abuse from over the backyard wall. He added that when he retreated inside, there was banging and shouting at the front door and Nalty tried to bang on a window with a coal scuttle.

It was alleged Nalty shouted “Polish bastards” before she pushed the coal scuttle at the man and headbutted him before smashing the window.

A defence solicitor said Nalty had been drinking and apologised for her behaviour.

He said she had a very bad criminal record but her offending had tailed off. He said Nalty had gone outside to smoke and was playing loud music and the neighbours had complained.

He added that his client, who he said had anger management issues, was taken to hospital after the incident.

Judge Des Perry said before he had read a pre-sentence report he had been minded to send Nalty to prison because of her “appalling record”. Instead, he imposed a suspended sentence.

In August 2018, Nalty, who is currently living at an address at Ballycastle Road in Coleraine, was convicted of disorderly behaviour in connection with an incident at Ballymena train station.

A prosecutor said police were called to the station after a number of people were reported to be disorderly on a train. When officers arrived, Nalty shouted and swore loudly and sat on the ground.

A defence solicitor said she was returning from a July 12 parade in Belfast and there was a “row on the train” which had “nothing to do with her”.

He said a number of people were put off the train and police were called. He said the defendant’s offending had “dramatically reduced” in recent years and the case before the court was one of “verbal disorderly behaviour”.

The judge noted Nalty had 154 previous convictions. He said he was prepared to view the July 12 incident as a “blip”.

by columboscoat