Macclesfield Express

Man jailed for breaking ban three times

- KAREN BRITTON

AHOMELESS man who was banned from the town centre has been jailed after breaching the order within three days.

Sean David Andrew Roberts, 38, was issued a Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from entering the town centre unless he had permission from police first.

The five-year order, issued by South and East Cheshire Magistrate­s’ Court, also banned him from using abusive or intimidati­ng language or behaviour in public and carrying an open container of alcohol unless in licensed premises, the court heard.

He was also required to attend appointmen­ts with alcohol services.

The order was issued on January 20 following a conviction for racial harrassmen­t on January 15.

Sgt Stephen Davenport, of Macclesfie­ld Neighbourh­ood Policing Team, said Roberts has caused problems for a long time and the order should have been a ‘massive deterrent’.

But Roberts found himself in court after breaching the order three times in a week.

Macclesfie­ld

Magis- trates Court heard the defendant, who is homeless but gave a care-of address in Macclesfie­ld, failed to attend an appointmen­t with the East Cheshire Drug Service at the Barnabas Centre.

Prosecutin­g, Debbie Byrne, said Roberts was also found with an open bottle of alcohol in public.

She said: “Police attended reports of three vagrants drinking alcohol at the disused Blockbuste­r shop in Macclesfie­ld.

“They saw a bottle of Tesco whisky on the pavement and there was a halffull bottle of vodka propped up behind the defendant.”

At the hearing on Wednesday, January 28, Roberts pleaded guilty to breaching the order on January 23 and 27.

Roberts pleaded guilty to a third breach at an earlier hearing.

Defending, Hannah Kelly said that Roberts is an alcoholic who had been sleeping in the doorway of Blockbuste­r.

She said: “He was packing up his belongings to go to the Barnabas appointmen­t when police went to arrest him.

“He accepts he had a bottle of vodka but thought that if he had a lid on he would not breach the order. He turned to alcohol after losing his mum five years ago. His life disintegra­ted, his marriage broke down, he lost contact with his children and his home was repossesse­d.

“He’s desperate to lead a different life and intends to leave Macclesfie­ld for a new start.”

Roberts was sent to prison for 14 days and ordered to pay a £80 victim surcharge.

Chairman of the bench, Clive Pattison, said: “This is three breaches in a short space of time and we take that very seriously.”

 ??  ?? ● Homeless Sean Roberts has been jailed after breaching an order anning him from the town centre three times in one week
● Homeless Sean Roberts has been jailed after breaching an order anning him from the town centre three times in one week

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom