‘Aggressive’ beggar given two-year ban
A NOTORIOUS beggar has been banned from a town centre for two years after a court heard about his campaign of harassment.
Paul Carroll, 40, tells people he is homeless and often targets the elderly, vulnerable or foreign visitors for money, prosecutors said.
But in fact he has a flat and has now been convicted of a number of public order offences.
This week, Greater Manchester Police successfully applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order to ban him from Eccles town centre and the West One retail park.
In their application to Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court, police said Carroll is well-known to the community and shoppers that frequent Eccles town centre.
“He is often seen with a cup of coffee, a plastic carrier bag containing hypodermic needles and scruffy clothing sat on the precinct begging for money,” police said.
“The Neighbourhood Beat Officer often gets complaints from members of the public over the defendant’s aggressive manner in begging and the fact he is portraying a homeless person when in fact he has a flat.”
In April this year, a member of the public told police officers patrolling Eccles town centre that Carroll had been aggressively begging people in the tram terminal in Eccles and causing them harassment.
A month later, a similar complaint was made by Transport for Greater Manchester staff.
They said Carroll had been begging on a daily basis throughout the terminal, approaching individuals and asking for £5 and been generally aggressive to people.
Staff complained that Carroll only targets elderly, vulnerable and non-English people and sets the monetary amount he wants from them when asking for change.
“As the member of staff was talking to the office, the defendant walked by and called the witness a ‘grass,’” police added.
In a third case, Carroll was begging outside Aldi on Church Street on September 3.
The court heard that when a couple walked past him, Carroll shouted ‘paedophile’ very loudly across the street and stuck two fingers up.
The next day, the couple saw Carroll again in the same place and the same thing happened.
Carroll has pleaded guilty to three public order offences and two charges of using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm and distress.
He has been fined a total of £210 plus costs and the victim surcharge.
The post on GMP Eccles Facebook page post of Carroll’s mugshot prompted an avalanche of more than 600 comments.
Many said he is well known for causing a nuisance in the town and welcomed the banning order.
Melissa Izzo wrote: “He has his own flat living on my estate! Yet begs in Eccles everyday. I’m glad because he abuses people who say no!
“He gets free bus fare as I see him getting in the bus loads! Fair enough people need help but this man abuses the system!”
Lee Holt added: “Best news I’ve seen all day it’s about time he got banned from Eccles he is a con artist.”
Others were more sympathetic and suggested Carroll needs help.
Mark Shepley wrote: “Feel for this man. I worked in the chippy years ago and he used to tip me, only person who ever did.”