Retired Officer Fined, Restrained After Attacking Show Jumper

A retired police officer has been fined and issued a restraining order after physically and verbally assaulting a champion show jumper over a dispute concerning a fence separating their horse paddocks. Gillian Crann, 62, was found guilty of assault and using abusive words to cause alarm and distress.

The incident occurred on October 11 of last year at Rodley Fold Farm in Leeds, where both women kept their horses in adjacent fields. The conflict began when one of Mrs. Meecham's horses chewed through a fence that marked the boundary between their properties. Crann had insisted the fence be repaired, and the serving police sergeant, Amy Meecham, had promised to address it, having already installed a temporary electric fence and purchased replacement stakes.

According to court testimony from Mrs. Meecham, who was still in her West Yorkshire Police uniform when the confrontation occurred, Crann entered her paddock and refused to leave despite repeated requests. Crann allegedly stated that Mrs. Meecham was not at work and could not make her leave. Mrs. Meecham described Crann as becoming increasingly angry before striking her. Crann slapped and scratched at Mrs. Meecham, who attempted to defend herself by grabbing Crann's wrists to stop the attack. During the struggle, Crann allegedly ripped Mrs. Meecham's police shirt collar, tearing off a button and an epaulette.

Mrs. Meecham stated that Crann then came at her again, kicking her leg and shouting homophobic slurs, including calling her a 'dke' and 'a cck in a frock.' She also reportedly told Mrs. Meecham that her husband no longer loved her. Mrs. Meecham found the homophobic language distressing, describing it as abhorrent.

A witness, Lee Parcell, who also keeps horses at the farm, corroborated parts of Mrs. Meecham's account, stating she saw Crann grab Mrs. Meecham by the neck and that Mrs. Meecham pushed her away in an attempt to break free. Ms. Parcell also observed the ripped collar and a muddy kick print on Mrs. Meecham's jeans. She confirmed that horses chewing fence posts is common at stables.

Crann, a widow who retired from the police 13 years prior, claimed she entered Mrs. Meecham's field to discuss the fence repair and acted in self-defense after Mrs. Meecham used a police technique to push her to the ground. Crann admitted to calling Mrs. Meecham a 'dke' and using the phrase 'cck in a frock,' but described it as a throwaway comment meant to convey that Mrs. Meecham appeared manly. She suggested that as a former police officer, Mrs. Meecham would have heard worse.

Despite Crann's explanations, the magistrates found her guilty. She was fined a total of £2,107, which included £100 in compensation to Mrs. Meecham. Crann was also subjected to a 12-month restraining order prohibiting contact with Mrs. Meecham and entry into her specific paddock.

This is not Crann's first legal encounter. In 2017, she received a suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay compensation after being found drunk in charge of a bull terrier that attacked a five-year-old boy and his mother. At that time, she was found to be three-and-a-half times over the legal alcohol limit.