JOKER YOB HAS SMILE WIPED OFF

A HOMELESS man who dressed up as The Joker to bring chaos to a city centre was jailed yesterday.

Damien Hammond plagued police, the public and shop workers with his bizarre behaviour.

He was arrested four times for disorderly behaviour as well as possessing cannabis and obstructing police.

But Hammond was serving a suspended 21-week jail sentence.

Now he has been jailed for 22 weeks and banned from Nottingham for three years.

When magistrate Dr Janet Ellis told the 29-year-old he was going to jail he shouted: “Send me to prison, I don’t care.”

Hammond styles himself on Heath Ledger’s villain in the 2008 Batman movie The Dark Knight.

Nottingham JPs heard Hammond had recently caused plenty of trouble in the city. Community protection enforcement officer Jeff Surgay said his offending involved intimidating retail staff and disorderly conduct towards police officers.

He added: “That, together with him altering his appearance to resemble The Joker appears to be calculated to induce fear into members of the public and retail staff in the city centre.’’

City centre neighbourhood inspector Anwaar Ahmed said: “Hammond has been a persistent offender in the city centre and his behaviour has not only caused distress to shop workers and members of the public, but has also escalated to him being disorderly and obstructive toward police officers.

“Despite being offered support from partner agencies and previously being given a second chance by the court, his offending continued.”