... stretching it!
I seriously doubt if catchic, myself or any other single females travelling alone would end up with such a nonsensical charge if we were unfortunate enough to find ourselves in that position. How many times has such a situation arisen, does anybody know? I've never heard of any.
If I was a single female on my own and someone broke into my van in the middle of the night, I wouldn't hesitate to use whatever was at hand.
That's if I could even manage a fast enough reaction to a 'developing' situation, which is the first pertinent question!
In all honesty I don't know how I would react. I might end up frozen with fear...
So if I was minded, and quick off the mark, to use a spray can with whatever in it that happened to be at hand, I would use it first and ask any questions later.
Anyway, I'd rather be still alive and in court being prosecuted than dead or injured at the hand of some lowlife scum who has deliberately broken into my place of residence with criminal intent!
However, just for the record, I have never felt the need to carry any kind of 'defensive weapon' while sleeping away in the van
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/self-defence-and-prevention-crime