Man was ‘drunk and aggressive’ in store – then swore at police
JON MACPHERSON
ADRUNK man repeatedly swore at police before racially abusing a custody sergeant, a court heard.
Officers were called to Newchurch Road in Bacup after a shopkeeper said Matthew Grimshaw was being ‘drunk and aggressive’ in the store.
The shopkeeper was forced to lock the front door after Grimshaw had left, however the defendant tried to get back in for the next 10 minutes.
When police arrived they found Grimshaw outside Pizza Uno ‘not mak- ing much sense’. Prosecutor Catherine Allan said it was ‘quite clear he was drunk, his speech was completely slurred, he was almost incoherent and unable to stand unaided’.
When a passer-by provided Grimshaw’s name to the officers they tried to help him get back home, however the 46-year-old became abusive and repeatedly swore at officers.
The court heard how the warned him about using foul language and his behaviour but was eventually arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
He was taken to Green- bank Police Station in Blackburn and was then racially abusive to a British-Pakistani custody sergeant.
Grimshaw, of Plantation Street, Stacksteads, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in a public place and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour and the offence was racially aggravated.
He was fined £120 and ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge.
The court heard how benefits claimant Grimshaw has eight previous convictions for 17 offences including drunk and disorderly.
A probation service officer who interviewed Grimshaw at court said he is ‘clearly vulnerable’.
She said: “He has struggled living in the community for some time.
“He feels he is being exploited by others and people are pinching things from his house.
“When he walks other people’s dogs people come out of shops and call him names and shout at him.
“He is acutely mentally unwell. He will be referred on to support workers to help him in the community.”
Magistrates did not order Grimshaw to pay compensation to the custody sergeant.