Crane man fined £20 for causing a nuisance

ACTIONS TIED UP EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR THREE HOURS

A DISTRAUGHT man who threatened to jump 100 feet from a crane, during a three hour stand-off with the emergency services, was fined £20.

The actions of James Charles Jones, whose mental health difficulties were said to be exacerbated by drink and drugs, led to roads being cordoned off while negotiators persuaded him to climb down to safety.

The drama unfolded at 5.30pm on Sunday, March 28 when Jones went into Leicester’s Dawn Centre in Conduit Street, Highfields, and announced he was going to kill himself.

Lauren Butts, prosecuting, told the city’s crown court that staff at the help centre alerted the police as 31-year-old Jones then trespassed onto a nearby building site and climbed onto a crane.

She added: “He also called the police saying he was going to jump and refused to come down when they arrived.

“Conduit Street and Glebe Street were cordoned off and pedestrians were also re-routed.

“All three emergency services attended. He was 30 metres off the ground and was climbing up and down, making demands for a blanket, food and for the Mercury to attend.

“After three hours he was talked down and told officers he had ‘problems.’

“He said he was a daily drug user and had started taking crack-cocaine but had been aware of what he was doing when he climbed onto the crane.”

Jones, of Alloway Close, Rushey Mead, admitted causing a public nuisance - for which he was fined £20.

He also admitted two earlier offences of criminal damage and one of threatening behaviour, committed on Sunday, February 21.

They related to him smashing a letterbox and gate at the city home of his then estranged girlfriend.

He also threw a rock through a window at the nearby home of his mother, causing £100 worth of damage.

Miss Butts said Jones had been banging on both victims’ doors demanding to be let in and complaining of being homeless with nowhere to stay at the time.

He admitted the offences put him in breach of a 14-month jail sentence, imposed in January for a house burglary.

James Varley, mitigating, said Jones had since made positive improvements in his life, having acquired accommodation and sought help for his issues.

He had reconciled with his girlfriend (who attended court) and also made up with his mother.

He added: “All this stems from his genuine mental health difficulties.”

He said Jones would benefit from help and support from the probation service.

Recorder Simon King said the defendant had made “significant strides” but had come within “a cat’s whisker” of going into custody and told Jones: “Don’t throw this chance away.”

The defendant replied: “No I won’t, thank you very much.”

As well as being fined £20 for the public nuisance incident, Jones was given two concurrent two month jail sentences, suspended for 12 months, for the criminal damage offences - to run concurrently with the earlier suspended sentence he breached.

He was ordered to undertake 15 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement - which the court was told would include the probation service helping him to address the impact of drugs and alcohol on his mental health and wellbeing.

After three hours he was talked down and told officers he had ‘problems’

Lauren Butts