West Country former soldier asks judge to jail her for as long as he can

A 28-year-old West Country woman who has been repeatedly caught in possession of a knife or blade asked a judge to give her as long a prison sentence as possible, so that she could access the mental health support she desperately needed.

Jessica Meehan, of no fixed abode, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court following an incident on May 5 this year. The prosecutor explained that police were alerted by 999 calls about a woman seen with a knife near Alma Road.

Officers attending saw Meehan heading towards the train station and stopped her. They carried out a search but she matched the description given by two members of the public. The court heard that a member of the public who had walked past Meehan later found the knife in question, hidden in a hedge.

The prosecutor explained that Meehan - who appeared via video link from HMP Eastwood Park - had 11 convictions for 22 offences, the vast majority of which were bladed article offences as well as breaches of court orders, minor drugs and motoring offences. She said Meehan's last conviction was in April 2023 - for a bladed article offence - and on May 9 she received a 12 month jail sentence.

The court was told Meehan - who was jailed in 2021 for speeding and was later discharged from the British Army - was later released on licence and resided in approved premises but was recalled to prison when a knife was found on her bedside table. She was released on April 11 this year but arrested just a few weeks later on May 5.

In mitigation, her advocate Nick Lewin noted that Meehan had a "multitude of psychological and psychiatric difficulties which clearly impact on her life and the way she lives her life". He said she was "very much in a revolving door", being arrested, charged, jailed, released, finding living in the outside world more difficult that living inside, returning to crack cocaine use due to the people she was associating with, her "behaviour becomes erratic and she starts carrying knives".

He described it as a "chronic and persistent problem" the courts were left to deal with. He said the jailing of people carrying knives was effectively the main blunt weapon it could use to convince people not to carry knives, but in the case of Meehan that message will not get through. He said that when Meehan's life goes out of control "she almost wants to get caught in possession of a bladed article" because she knew she would be put into a "regime where she is comfortable, well looked after", will get medication and support for drug problems, "bed and board and food".

Mr Lewin said it was a very sad statement but she was living a "much better life where she is than the life she has been consigned to outside prison." He suggested that in many ways this was a "public display" with a knife in the hope that someone would report her, she would be arrested her and send her back to prison.

Mr Lewin asked Judge Peter Johnson to temper the courts feelings about Meehan not responding to repeated prison terms, which Judge Johnson noted appeared to just get longer and longer. Mr Lewin added that in conversation he found her to be a "delight to talk to, very respectful" where she was, but her difficulty was on the "outside".

Judge Johnson asked Meehan if she wished to take some time to consider a sentence which would not see her jailed yet again, but perhaps work with agencies to support her and "break the cycle". However, she replied that she knew there was a lot of mental health support for her in prison at the moment which she could access once sentenced "but my sentences have never been long enough to do proper help so I always get out and I'm in the same position I was when I got in."

Judge Johnson offered Meehan opportunity to speak with her advocate for a short while and adjourned the case for a short while. However, on his return, Mr Lewin admitted that Meehan wanted the judge to "impose a sentence of of two and a half years so that she has sufficient time in custody to get the help that she needs before she is released", because she felt that even with a package in place outside of prison, the difficulties she faced outside custody "will overcome those efforts and that package".

He said Meehan wanted to show her gratitude towards the judge for showing a "level of interest" she had "not previously experienced from the judiciary". Mr Lewin went on to add: "I know this will make your honour incredibly uncomfortable", to which Judge Johnson replied: "Yes, it does".

Judge Johnson, addressing Meehan over the video link, noting a summary of the case against her and the circumstances of her arrest and charge on May 5. He noted that she had pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in a public place, that she was seen by a concerned runner who warned a family approach Meehan and that this was not the first time she was found to be in possession of a knife in a public place.

He noted her many previous convictions, with increasing sentences of a community order, eight months, 14 months, then another 14 months and the most recent being 12 months at Bristol Crown Court last year.

He noted that she did not wish the matter to be adjourned for a psychiatric report or "explore any other avenue which might lead to a more constructive sentence being imposed".

He added: "For entirely understandable reasons you've asked me to impose what is close to being the maximum sentence I could impose under sentencing law. That is in order to allow you to receive help while at Eastwood Park and to see whether a package of measures can be put in place while you are in custody."

He said he could place the offence in high category as there were vulnerable people - youngsters - in the public area. He said that there were no so many convictions that "something substantial" needed to be tried in her case.

As a result of the aggravated element - her numerous previous convictions - meant that the least sentence he could pass was two-and-a-half years, but told Meehan that if "additional information" came to light within the next 56 days "I am prepared to revisit this matter." He said she would serve half the sentence before being released on licence.

Asked if she understood the sentence, Meehan replied "yes your honour". Judge Johnson quickly added: "I would like you to seriously consider whether you would like further reports to be prepared on you - but you need to do that relatively quickly" once she'd spoken to staff at the prison about the assistance she could be given while she served her term.

Meehan politely thanked the judge before the video link was broken.