Student jailed after threatening lecturers

Phoebe Adlard, 22, formerly of Juniper Close, Leasingham, admitted a string of offences including harassment and breaching a restraining order which prevented her from contacting Lincoln College where she had been on an equestrian course.

Lincoln Crown Court heard magistrates made the original restraining order in March last year.

Noel Philo, prosecuting, told the court Adlard broke the restraining order in July this year in a series of emails and on social media that included referring to the two female lecturers as ‘Nazi’s’ and making threats to property and horses.

Mr Philo said: “The messages went on and on causing considerable alarm to both of the ladies concerned.”

Victim impact statements from the two lecturers made it clear they were very upset by the threats.

Mr Philo added: “Those threats put them in fear of their lives.”

The court heard Adlard made the threats just a month after she was found with a small knife at the offices of the probation service in Union Street, Grantham, on June 13.

Mr Philo told the court officers were called to the building after Adlard became upset and began throwing leaflets on the floor.

When she was asked to leave by a member of staff Adlard replied: “If I leave I’m going to stab someone.”

Adlard scratched a Swastika into the plastic cover of the door and cracked the lower panel.

When police tried to arrest her she replied: “Don’t touch me or I’ll spit at you.”

As she was removed from the building a small steak knife fell from her clothing.

The court heard Adlard made no comment during her police interviews and was remanded into custody at Peterborough prison after she entered guilty pleas to all the offences at a previous court hearing.

She pleaded guilty to offences of criminal damage, possessing a bladed article and the public order offence at Grantham probation office on June 13.

Adlard further admitted offences of harassment, breaching a restraining order, criminal damage to a police cell and common assault on two emergency workers in July this year.

Leanne Summers, mitigating, said Miss Adlard did not have a bad criminal record and had not been before the courts until problems arose during her time at Lincoln College.

Miss Summers told the court Adlard had now undergone a psychological assessment.

She added that Adlard had formed the opinion that she was being “picked on” and like many other young women had a previously undiagnosed attention deficit condition.

Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin-Knight said she had taken into account Adlard’s mental health issues but told Adlard that her threats were “direct” and “vile,” and were aggravated by her Nazi references.