Stamford woman involved in 90 incidents in 30 days given hospital order

A woman who brandished a knife at high street shoppers on a quiet Sunday afternoon has been given a secure hospital order.

Ceire Clery, 33, had the weapon outside Wilko's shop in High Street, Stamford, on January 28, 2024, and was complaining about the car parking spaces.

When asked if she was okay, she began to wave the knife around, leaving people in the area fearful they would be attacked.

Clery, of Abbotts Close, Stamford, was found to have a serrated edge kitchen knife and a yellow-handled craft knife and was arrested and later charged with two counts of possession of a bladed article in a public place.

Following assessments by psychiatrists, she was deemed not fit to plead, and a finding of fact hearing was held before a jury in June last year, which found she had committed the act of being in possession of two bladed articles.

Clery was sentenced on Tuesday (April 1) and was detained for further medical treatment. She will remain in a secure hospital until staff are satisfied she can be released back into the community.

"This has been a really difficult and long-running case, and one that has had a much broader impact on the local community,” said Sergeant Emma-Jane Crisp.

“Our officers had been called to deal with 90 incidents relating to Clery in just a three-month period from October 2023 to January 2024.

"The incidents ranged from reports of criminal damage and public order to assault, and had led to 29 arrests and nine assessments due to concerns over her mental health.

“We knew this was someone who needed significant help, but also posed a risk to the public - and I am extremely thankful that nothing more serious happened when she took a knife out.

"We, along with mental health services repeatedly attempted to have her engage with the mental health teams so she could get the help which we clearly saw she needed; but she refused to engage and there was no legal way to enforce it.

“This meant that officers were instead repeatedly called to incidents involving Clery, and the local community were feeling the impact of her behaviour."

The neighbourhood policing team gave her Community Protection Notices, issued by South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) - used to address unreasonable behaviour which negatively impacts the quality of life in a local community - but these were ignored.

Following her arrest and charge in January, the work then started to evidence the impact of her behaviour, gathering witness statements and CCTV footage to show the incident.

Sgt Crisp added: "This work to build a solid case file, along with details of her previous interactions with police, secured the outcome.

“It means that Clery can continue to receive the help needed and, most importantly, our community is protected.

“I want to thank everyone in that local community who have shared their experiences, and remained patient while we did the work needed to get to this point."