Rough sleeper who continually flouted law is finally jailed
A homeless man with an extensive criminal history has been locked up after committing a string of offences, including hurting a woman paramedic.
Dermot Mulligan, who sleeps rough in Maidstone, also admitted exposing himself, failing to turn up to court and being drunk and disorderly and was found guilty of the assault.
Last Thursday Maidstone Magistrates’ Court was told that in March, the homeless 55-year-old was at Faversham Police Station where, under the nose of an officer, he stole keys from the door of the custody suite.
He admitted the offence despite having no recollection of it.
Weeks later he was due to attend court but was stopped from entering due to being drunk. He protested and verbally abused the security guards.
Then in April, he was found collapsed in the doorway of Marks & Spencer, Week Street, Maidstone, and when approached by paramedic Rychelle Henderson-Drife twisted both her hands causing her immense pain.
She had to go to hospital but there was no lasting damage.
Mulligan, a heavy drinker, failed to attend his assault trial and was convicted in his absence.
Days later he was arrested in the town centre after walking down Week Street at 1.30pm with his genitals exposed.
He claimed he had forgotten to do his fly up after urinating but admitted causing a public nuisance, insisting there was no sexual motive.
The court was told Mulligan, who has 31 convictions for 41 offences, has been homeless for 17 years and has not worked since 1980, other than some bricklaying while in prison.
While he used to drink four cans of alcohol a day, due to his finances he can now only afford four a week.
After hearing that suspended sentences had been flouted in the past, magistrates said they were left with no other option than to jail him and sent him to prison for 60 days.
Due to his financial situation, court costs and a victim surcharge were waived but compensation of £115 was awarded to Miss Henderson-Drife.