A Derbyshire mother has received £9,000 in compensation after police officers unlawfully entered her family home, knocking her to the ground and pepper-spraying her husband. Sabrina Fearn, 31, said the December 2022 incident left her so traumatised that she is now afraid to call 999. The force has admitted the entry into the property was unlawful.
Evening at home turned into confrontation
Sabrina and her husband Andrew Fearn, 40, were at home in Derby with friends, watching an England football match, when they heard someone outside shouting that they had a knife. After discovering the weapon had been dropped in their front garden, they called police, who attended to retrieve it before leaving.
Around 15 minutes later, a large group of officers returned. Sabrina had gone upstairs to look after a friend's child when she heard a loud bang at the front door. She said there were roughly 15 officers at her door, with some going round the back of the property. They told her they had to search the house; she refused, saying the knife had nothing to do with them.
"As I closed the door, one officer pushed it and sent me flying. All my husband saw was a person in full black on top of me," she said.
Arrest and court case
Sabrina claims an officer forced their way through the doorway, knocking her backwards. Two officers then grabbed Andrew by the neck and pepper-sprayed him before producing a Taser and arresting him. He was taken away in a police van and spent 15 hours in custody. Sabrina also said one officer covered her Ring doorbell to prevent recording. She was taken to hospital after the pepper spray affected her breathing, as she has asthma.
Both Sabrina and Andrew were charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker. They appeared at Derby Magistrates' Court on December 8, 2023, pleaded not guilty, and the magistrate dismissed the case after hearing evidence and viewing CCTV footage.
"He understood that we were a family at home enjoying our evening. He asked the officers if they believed the entry into the house was unlawful, and some of them said yes, and that they were not sure why they entered. With that, he dismissed the case," Sabrina said.
Civil claim and police apology
Following the court case, the couple pursued a civil claim against Derbyshire Police, covering false imprisonment, injuries sustained, and trespass onto their property. The force accepted the claim and paid £9,000 in compensation in 2025. However, Sabrina says the family has never received a direct apology from the officers involved.
"I have been left traumatised by this; I would never pick up the phone and dial 999. The thought of the police coming around terrifies me," she said.
In a statement, a Derbyshire Police spokesperson apologised for the distress and harm caused. The force said officers held an "honestly held belief" that an injured individual may have been in the house needing medical attention, but the grounds under Section 17 of PACE were not met due to the time elapsed, making the entry and all following matters unlawful. The force accepted the civil claim but did not accept that a malicious prosecution had occurred or that officers were negligent. The officers involved were not subject to disciplinary matters, and no complaints about their conduct have been made. The force said it is reviewing lessons to improve its service to the public.
