Former film industry boss in court for more assaults on police officers

A 64-year-old former film industry boss who has convictions for more than 30 assaults on police officers has appeared in custody at Bath Magistrates’ Court to admit further offences.

Bath Magistrates’ Court

On Monday, 7th September, Patricia Shorthouse, from Inverness, was given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting two police officers in the execution of their duty at Marksbury, near Bath, last month and two similar assaults in Dorset in July.

Magistrates heard that police had been called on 7th August to the Asda Express at Westway Garage. There were concerns that an intoxicated Shorthouse was going to use a wine bottle as a weapon.

Ambulance staff and police wanted to get her to a place of safety. However, she ignored repeated warnings about her behaviour and assaulted the officers, including by slapping.

She admitted using threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

As well as assaulting two police officers in the execution of their duty at Dorset County Hospital on 18th July, Shorthouse also admitted being drunk and disorderly at a pub in Dorchester that day.

At Monday’s hearing, the court heard that some explanation for her actions was a domestically abusive relationship, which she had now left.

For the four assaults, magistrates imposed a six-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months.

They made no separate penalty for the offences of causing harassment, alarm or distress at Marksbury and being drunk and disorderly in Dorchester.

They ordered Shorthouse to pay prosecution costs of £170 and a £154 court surcharge.

The former film commissioner was involved in helping to bring major Hollywood movies to Scotland.

Her list of previous convictions includes assaults on police in other parts of England and in Scotland, and she has spent time in custody.

In May of this year, police in Devon secured a civil injunction banning her from the whole of Torbay until April 2028 due to her drunken and anti-social behaviour.