Freed-from-jail thief locked up again for threat to bite off city barman’s nose
A PROLIFIC Derby criminal threatened to bite the nose off a bar worker at a city pub just one day after being released early from a prison sentence.
A court heard Gareth Cartwright, who has more than 80 theft offences to his name, was celebrating his release in the Babington Arms.
After staff refused to serve him due to his behaviour, he followed one of them into the wash room, made the threat and then said “I know where you work, I will come back and do you”.
Now the 37-year-old, of Chellaston, who was recalled to serve the remainder of his sentence, has been handed four more weeks’ jail time.
David Martin, chair of the bench at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court, said: “These matters are serious because they were committed so shortly after your release from prison. They were committed against someone serving the public at a time when you were in drink. For those reasons only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
In June, Cartwright, formerly of Arnhem Terrace, Spondon and now of Boyd Grove, was jailed for a year for a spate of shoplifting at a Co-op store.
That hearing was told how he was caught stuffing products into a bag on numerous occasions at the shop in Chapel Street, Spondon. He even tried to disguise himself at one point by wearing sunglasses.
Becky Allsop, prosecuting his latest offence, said the day after being released part way through that sentence, on September 18, the defendant walked into the Babington Arms. She said: “He placed a £20 note on the counter and said to the bar staff ‘I am leaving this here and will come back for it when I get a drink’.
“He was told he could not do that so he threw it behind the counter, walked off and punched a plastic divider between two of the tables. “When he returned, he was told he was not going to be served because of his behaviour so he followed that bar staff member to where the washing up is done and said to him ‘I will bite your ******* nose off’. “He was shouting threats, spittle was landing on the face of the victim. He said to him [the victim] ‘I know where you work, I will come back and do you’.” Miss Allsop said police were called and arrested Cartwright, who told them he was out having a celebratory drink after being released from jail the previous morning.
He admitted assault and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.
Simon Stevens, mitigating, said his client did not intentionally spit in the victim’s face, but had agreed his behaviour was unacceptable.
He said: “He has a release date of June 6, so he is going to remain in Nottingham prison for some time yet.”