Asbo bans 35-year-old man from begging and boozing in city centre
A BEGGAR has been banned from asking for money and drinking in public in Derby.
Paul McMahon was given an anti-social behaviour order after residents in Spondon complained about his persistent and aggressive begging.
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Paul Mcmahon
They said he harassed people in the village.
Police said he then moved on to the city centre, which resulted in further complaints.
The 35-year-old has now been given a two-year anti-social behaviour order after an application was made by Derby Community Safety Partnership's anti-social behaviour team and Derbyshire police.
The order bans McMahon from entering Spondon. It also prohibits him from begging in Derby and begging and drinking alcohol in public.
He is banned from acting, or encouraging others to act, in a way that "causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in Derby as defined by the Inner Ring Road".
Also, he must not beg by calling at a home without prior consent of the occupier.
PCSO Lindsey Harris, of the Spondon safer neighbourhood policing team, said: "We had a high number of complaints about this man's actions and behaviour.
"Many people in the area felt intimidated and were left upset by him.
"Spondon is a relatively small community and Paul McMahon created huge problems.
"We hope residents see that we will take positive action against anti-social behaviour and that the order will tackle this particular problem."
Spondon councillor Evonne Williams said that it was a very community-orientated place.
She said: "In Spondon there's a full approach and we'll use any tools available to us to cut down on anti-social behaviour and to make sure it remains a nice place to live and work."
An Asbo is a civil order made against a person who has been shown, on the balance of evidence, to have engaged in anti-social behaviour.
The orders, introduced through the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, were designed to be imposed after minor incidents that would not ordinarily warrant prosecution.
Violating an Asbo can result in imprisonment by the courts.
In Derbyshire, anyone with information on anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhood can contact the police on 0345 123 3333 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
4 Comments
by Tom Fulep, Sinfin
Wednesday, May 05 2010, 5:56PM
“Instead of an ASBO, give the lazy sod some community service, even if it means picking litter up in the streets he begs along.”
by John, essex
Wednesday, May 05 2010, 5:14PM
“What is it about Derby centre that attracts these layabouts? Where I live you see the odd busker but that's all
As for a 35 year old begging -he needs to get to work or get treatment”
by Simon, Alvaston, Derby
Wednesday, May 05 2010, 4:57PM
“If you are walking along Victoria Street and a young girl in her teens approaches you with a sob story about needing some money for her bus fare, she has asked me on three seperate occasions and her street drinking boyfriend who looks in his thirties is normally only a few feet behind tring not to look in her direction.
There's nothing wrong with being kind or showing kindness to a stranger but some people will exploit our good nature.”
by Simon, Alvaston, Derby
Wednesday, May 05 2010, 4:53PM
“I walked along St Peter's Street today and was confronted by two seperate beggars trying badly to play musical instruments, someone dressed in a gorilla suit sat next to an empty suitcase begging outside McDonalds before he was ushered on for trying to start a fight with the singing Big Issue seller and a living statue at the entrance to Westfield (opposite Babington
Lane).
I know most are doing no harm but surely being harrassed for money at every street corner is too much.”