South Shields female flasher jailed for throwing glass bottles at couple in street
Lindsey Smith, who has two past convictions for stripping off in public, including around children, had been given 'chance after chance' to stay out of prison but blew it by launching an unprovoked attack
by Sara Nichol · ChronicleLiveA female flasher who twice stripped off in public after downing booze has finally been jailed after throwing glass bottles at a couple in the street.
Lindsey Smith has two past convictions for outraging public decency where she removed all her clothes and danced around in public, including in front of children, and has previously assaulted a woman. The 46-year-old also has more than 100 offences on her appalling record and had been given "chance after chance" by a judge to stay out of prison.
However, that judge's patience has finally run out after she appeared back in the dock for an unprovoked attack on a married couple. Newcastle Crown Court heard that Smith had been in Newcastle city centre when she randomly threw a glass bottle at the pair, hitting the man on the back of the head.
The victim was taken to hospital and needed staples to a wound on his head, while both he and his wife had been left "psychologically traumatised". Smith, of Albion Court, in South Shields, has now been locked up for three years and two months after she pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
The court heard that Smith was given a community order in October 2023 for outraging public decency when she first stripped off in public but did it again earlier this year, resulting in her getting a deferred sentence. She was further given a deferred sentence in March this year when she assaulted a woman and was told she must abide by conditions of not being drunk in public and staying out of trouble.
However, on August 8, Smith blew her final chance. Katie Spence, prosecuting, said the victims had been at the Mog on the Tyne cafe and were walking up Grainger Street when Smith randomly launched her attack. Miss Spence said: "[The male victim] felt a sharp shooting pain on the back of his head and heard his wife say "come here".
"They saw a female standing in front of them with a glass bottle in her hand. She was also intoxicated and shouting. Both were immediately fearful and [the male victim] realised something had happened but he wasn't sure what.
"At this point, the defendant threw a wine bottle towards [the female victim]. She was holding a bottle of coke in her hand and both bottles made contact and landed on the floor."
The court heard that the couple shouted at nearby police officers, who detained Smith and took her to the ground. A passer-by also recorded the assault on her phone.
In a statement, the female victim said she had started to suffer from panic attacks as a result of the attack. She added: "Since the assault, I'm scared to leave the house.
"I was a nurse for over 30 years and had to deal with various situations due to the nature of my role but I have never seen anyone so angry throughout my entire life and I can't get her face out of my head."
The male victim said, as well as having to have staples in his head, he'd also suffered psychologically.
Fiona Lamb, defending, said Smith suffered from mental health problems and had been having a mental breakdown on the day in question. She added: "She said she was hearing voices and all were not in her head and she believed people were following her and she believed people were going to attack her.
"She, quite wrongly, thought [the victims] were those people. She accepts now, they were not."
Jailing Smith, Judge Paul Sloan KC, The Recorder of Newcastle, said: "You have been given chance after chance after chance and I warned you at the time I deferred your sentence that it was your very last chance. If you failed to comply with those conditions, then an immediate sentence of imprisonment would be imposed.
"You failed to comply, so a sentence of imprisonment will follow."
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