Repeat offender’s harassment claim
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
A CAMLOUGH man has been imprisoned for six months on a catalogue of charges involving disorderly behaviour and resisting police.
Sean Taylor, of Cambrook Estate, was handed the sentence at Newry Magistrates Court where he appeared via video-link on Wednesday.
The court heard that the 23-year-old was pleading guilty to charges of disorderly behaviour, resisting police, assault on police and shoplifting stemming from four separate incidents.
Charges of making threats to kill, shoplifting , disorderly behaviour common assault, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm relating to two other incidents were adjourned.
All incidents, dated June 16, August 6 and October 30 involved Taylor initially being approached by police, becoming aggressive, being arrested for disorderly behaviour, before becoming violent and being arrested for resisting police and, on one occasion, for assaulting police.
Taylor also entered a guilty plea to a shoplifting incident dating back to May 17, 2009 in which he'd stolen a sandwich priced at £2.69.
Describing the pattern of events as "depressing and unfortunate", defence told the court that there is now "almost a template" to Taylor's offending.
Explaining that he suffers with ADHD and alcoholism, defence told the court that he had been engaged with rehabilitation services and had hoped for a referral for treatment in London but that he'd been refused the opportunity.
This, defence said, had had a further negative impact on him.
Interrupting, District Judge Eamonn King said that he had deferred sentencing Taylor on other matters to allow him to engage with the Community Addiction Team.
“Instead he reoffended," the Judge said.
Mr King noted that Taylor had 10 previous convictions for assaulting police, 13 for obstruction, six for criminal damage and four for riotous/disorderly behaviour at which point Taylor interrupted the Judge, telling him he is a victim of police harassment.
Claiming that he's stopped and searched without reason four or five times a day, Taylor asked the Judge "How would you like it?", adding that he's made
complaints to the Ombudsman over police assaults on him but that "nothing ever comes of it".
As Taylor talked about his human rights, which he claimed are being abused, the Judge interrupted to sentence him to six months in prison.
He also activated an existing suspended sentence, ordering that it run alongside the jail term Taylor's now serving.
A compensation order for £80 was also made in respect of a policeman's watch that Taylor had pulled from his wrist before stamping on repeatedly.
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