Jail for nuisance street drinker
A York street drinker with a long history of criminal behaviour has been jailed.
Bradley Neville Bell, aged 42, of no fixed address, was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment when he appeared at York Magistrates' Court on 12 October 2012.
Bell pleaded guilty to a series of offences including assaulting a police officer, obstructing a PCSO, drunk and disorderly, drunk in a highway and breach of bail.
Bell was arrested on 4 September 2012 when he assaulted a female police officer on Castlegate as she dealt with a shop lifter.
On 1 October 2012 he was arrested again for being drunk and disorderly and drunk and incapable in Walmgate. He was released on bail with conditions not to enter the area but breached the conditions imposed on him on two occasions.
On the second occasion he abused PCSOs who were trying to detain him and he was arrested and remanded in custody.
Bell's conviction follows a dedicated initiative by police in York City Centre, called Operation Astound.
The operation was set up to address drink-related anti-social behaviour and breaches of the alcohol control zone in the Walmgate area.
Bell has had alcohol confiscated within the Walmgate area on numerous occasions and had been made aware in April 2012 that he was being monitored along with 19 other problematic street drinkers.
He was personally served with a letter confirming the police's intentions as part of Operation Astound along with a map clearly detailing the boundaries of the area in which drinking was restricted by law.
In addition he was directed to alcohol support services, but despite this, Bell continued to be involved in drink related anti-social behaviour in Walmgate and has persistently chosen to ignore the drinking restrictions.
PC Richard Gatecliffe, of Walmgate Safer Neighbourhood Team, welcomed Bell's conviction.
He said: "The community in Walmgate are sick and tired of Bradley Bell's drunken presence and that of other street drinkers in the area.
"I am very pleased with the sentence that the court has imposed on Bell and I hope this sends a clear message to those who persistently make life a misery for the community with their drunken behaviour that it will not be tolerated.
"I hope that he uses his time in prison to reflect on his behaviour and deal with his drink dependency. If he doesn't address his behaviour he will have to deal with the consequences."
PC Gatecliffe added that the local Safer Neighbourhood Team are committed to dealing with anti-social behaviour in Walmgate and will continue to target people who ignore the alcohol control zone.
He added: "We and our partners will continue to look closely at the activity of people behaving anti-socially in the Walmgate area.
"We will continue to make use of our body-worn CCTV cameras to gather evidence of the behaviour of street drinkers whose presence is threatening and intimidating to people who live and work in York and also people who visit the city."
Chief Inspector Phil Cain, of York Safer Neighbourhood Command, said: "This case goes to show that the police, City of York Council, the Court Service and The Crown Prosecution Service are all working closely to achieve positive results for the community.
"The commitment the local Safer Neighbourhood Team have shown to tackling anti-social behaviour in the Walmgate area is very pleasing."
If you would like to report anti-social behaviour or street drinking, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.
2.32pm - 17 October 2012
