Homeless man jailed after trashing gate
Just hours after being freed following a spell on remand at Perth Prison, a homeless man turned up at the Barrack Street police HQ - and threatened to damage the outside of the building.
Twenty-one-year-old Jordan Kelly then proceeded to trash the security gate there as he repeatedly shouted he had nowhere to go.
He then ripped off plastic from a side door and smashed the glass on a dry riser inlet, used by firefighters, before scattering broken glass and plastic across the police car park.
He was arrested - and his wish was granted when he was jailed for six months when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court.
The accused, of no fixed abode, admitted causing the damage to the Perth Police office on October 27, 2020.
Depute fiscal Bill Kermode said Kelly was first seen outside the offices about 1am.
“He had recently been released and had nowhere to go.”
A police officer working inside heard the sound of smashing glass and made her way down the stairs.
She saw the accused who was repeatedly stating “I want the jail.”
Mr Kermode added: “He appeared to be irate” Another officer attended and saw Kelly removing the plastic and then throwing pieces of it, along with some of the broken glass, across the car park.
A solicitor for Kelly explained he had been freed after time on remand on October 26.
“This incident took place in the early hours of the 27th. He had been unable to secure any form of accommodation and that’s how this incident arose.”
The accused faced a petition containing seven similar allegations.
“He wants to resolve that and would be looking at a custodial sentence,” the solicitor added.
Sheriff Gillian Wade pointed out: “Custody is not a resource for people who don’t have accommodation.”
And she questioned why homeless accommodation had not been secured for him.
“If that had been done, he might not have found himself back in custody.”
She reluctantly accepted, however, she did not have any real alternative and jailed him for six months.
It was backdated to October 27 when Kelly was remanded.