He didn’t burger off when told

After a night out drinking, a man got angry when staff at a fast food restaurant refused to open up and serve him.

About 1.50am on September 7, Timothy Jay O’Brien went to the Burger King on New Plymouth’s Leach St.

Sergeant Craig Jones said the ‘‘very intoxicated’’ O’Brien found the store shut, but saw staff were still inside cleaning up.

O’Brien walked down the drivethru lane and starting banging on the window.

When staff refused to open the window, O’Brien continued to bang on the glass and did not leave. Police were then called to assist.

Yesterday, O’Brien pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly behaviour and lawyer Susan Hurley said her client knew he made a ‘‘poor decision’’.

The defendant personally knew some of the staff he saw inside the store so thought they might make an exception and serve him, despite the store being closed.

‘‘He couldn’t understand that they wouldn’t open up to give him food,’’ she said.

While no damage had been done, ‘‘it was a severe inconvenience to the police,’’ she added.

Community magistrate Lesley Jensen said she was concerned about how alcohol had been a ‘‘thread’’ through O’Brien’s previous offending list and asked for a stand down report to be completed by the probation service regarding a sentence of supervision.

Once completed, Hurley said the probation officer raised a concern about his motivation to address his alcohol use but O’Brien said he was willing to get help.

O’Brien was sentenced to six months’ supervision.