Former special constable acquitted of assaulting social worker so she can take prison service job

Former special constable acquitted of assaulting social worker so she can take prison service job

A former special constable in the Police force has been acquitted of assaulting a social worker in August last year, because she has a job offer lined up with the prison service that a conviction would prevent her taking.

In the late afternoon of Wednesday the 22nd August 2018, a Suffolk-based social worker made a routine visit to the home of Holly Mary Rackham and her two children. Upon arrival at her home, the social worker became concerned about the state of Mrs Rackham and had concerns she had been drinking.

According to the prosecutor Matthew Edwards, Mrs Rackham “did not want the social worker there and asked her to leave. There was an altercation and eventually the matter came to the attention of the police.”

Following her arrest, Mrs Rackham was charged with one count of assault by beating the social worker. She was due to stand trial today.

In the public interest to offer no evidence 

Since the beating of the social worker took place, mother-of-two Mrs Rackham has used her experience as a police special constable to secure a job offer within Her Majesty’s Prison Service. It is not known whether she disclosed the fact that she was due to stand trial for assault, by beating a social worker, when she interviewed for this position.

Due to stand trial for the assault today, it has instead been decided that it is not in the public interest to go ahead with the hearing. Instead, the prosecutor explained that: “It has been decided that in the public interest the best way to deal with this matter, given her job offer, is to offer no evidence and the parties have agreed to a restraining order and a letter of apology to the social worker and the police officer who attended on the day, who was known to her.”

Steven Paul, defending Mrs Rackham, said in court that: “It will allow her to take up a job offer she has got and progress that. That is in the best interests of everyone, including her children”.

Very grateful for the acquittal

Mrs Rackham’s counsel told the Magistrates’ Court how his client was “very grateful and will do exactly what has been asked.”

Magistrates imposed a one-year restraining order upon Mrs Rackham, ordering her to comply with all future reasonable requests and requirements from social workers.

In making this order the chair of the magistrates’ bench, Mr Chris Bowles, warned Mrs Rackham “If you do not obey any part of this order, you could be committing an offence. You could be fined or sent to prison for a period of up to five years.”

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