Woman found hiding under pile of clothes during police search at Chesterfield property linked to drug use

A woman, who was hiding under a pile of clothes at a partially-closed Chesterfield property, was sentenced at Chesterfield Magistrates court.

Kimberley Royster, 37, of Broomhouse Lane, Balby, was found by officers at an address at Flamstead Crescent just before 11am on April 18.

At the time, the property was under a closure order, which was put in place ‘to protect the occupant and reduce the anti-social behaviour including drug use’.

The order specified that only one named legal occupier was allowed to enter the address between February 26 and May 26, 2026.

When officers, visited the address on the day of the incident, the tenant took a while to open the door for the officers.

Asked if anyone else was in, she said to the officers that she was the only person at the address.

But further search of the property revealed another woman was present.

PC Middleton’s body cam footage of the search, which was played at court, showed the moment officers discovered a woman hiding underneath a large pile of clothes in one of the rooms.

Officers asked her to identify herself she said she was called Katie.

But one of the police officers recognised the woman as Kimberley Royster, who had a number of previous convictions including possession of class A and B drugs as well as shoplifting offences.

Royster seemed distressed and told officers that she was scared of being ‘locked up’ asking to have a cigarette before going to jail.

After her identity was confirmed, officers checked the defendant’s record.

The defendant did not have any outstanding arrest warrants and officers didn’t deem it necessary to arrest her.

However, she was charged with entering premises in contravention of a closure order.

Royster did not attend her sentencing hearing, which took place at Chesterfield Magistrates Court on Thursday, October 22.

The court heard she also failed to attend her previous hearing.

During the sentencing hearing, Royster was found guilty of entering premises in contravention of a closure order.

She was ordered to pay a fine of £120, a victim surcharge of £48 and costs of £85 with a collection order made to deduct the sum from the defendant’s benefits.