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Homeless man brought to court after asking for 10p



T

TomandJerry

Well-known member
Oct 1, 2013
11,450
"UNDERCOVER police are being sent out to catch homeless people begging with more than one arrested every week.

Rough sleepers are being criminalised by Sussex Police operations to arrest and prosecute those living on the streets and desperate for small change.

The tactics have come under fire by critics who have questioned the “pointless system” that costs the taxpayer thousands of pounds and sees beggars fined hundreds of pounds only to have to go back on the streets.

In a recent case magistrates questioned the public interest in taking to court a rough sleeper who asked for ten pence in the street.

He is just one of more than 16 defendants called before Brighton Magistrates’ Court in the past two months. A total of 62 were arrested last year.

The cases will have cost the public purse more than £16,000."

Ridiculous waste of money and time
 






C

CHAPPERS

DISCO SPENG
Jul 5, 2003
44,772
A homeless guy told me on Saturday he got locked up for accepting 23p from someone as I gave him a ciggy on Saturday. I assumed he was bullshitting, seems not.
 


happypig

happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
7,960
Eastbourne
TomandJerry said:
"UNDERCOVER police are being sent out to catch homeless people begging with more than one arrested every week.

Rough sleepers are being criminalised by Sussex Police operations to arrest and prosecute those living on the streets and desperate for small change.

The tactics have come under fire by critics who have questioned the “pointless system” that costs the taxpayer thousands of pounds and sees beggars fined hundreds of pounds only to have to go back on the streets.

In a recent case magistrates questioned the public interest in taking to court a rough sleeper who asked for ten pence in the street.

He is just one of more than 16 defendants called before Brighton Magistrates’ Court in the past two months. A total of 62 were arrested last year.

The cases will have cost the public purse more than £16,000."

Ridiculous waste of money and time
Click to expand...

What's the source for this please ?
 


Gullflyinghigh

Gullflyinghigh

Registered User
Apr 23, 2012
4,279
Where's this story come from? If it's true it seems like a monumental waste of time.
 






studio150

studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
29,611
On the Border
TomandJerry said:
Ridiculous waste of money and time
Click to expand...

No, the law of the land needs to be upheld or the fabric of society crumbles.

There are many people who are frightened by beggars and cross the road to avoid them, particularly if they are aggressive beggars by which I mean that they are in your face effectively demanding money.

Also you have been selective in posting the story, as in fact the report continues to comment that the Police look to arrest those that are known to have refused assistance that is available, as opposed to those that are seeking help to recover their lives.
 


happypig

happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
7,960
Eastbourne
Geestar said:
And what is their punishment? A night inside with a meal?
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If the OP is right (and I've no reason to doubt) then a court is likely to take a pragmatic approach; a conditional discharge is likely to fail if the defendant has previous so he will be fined. As he's no money, he will be ordered to serve one day court detention which means he sits at the back of the court until that session's business is concluded (or until the chairman decides to let him leave). No costs as he's no means to pay.
 








beorhthelm

beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,303
Gullflyinghigh said:
Where's this story come from? If it's true it seems like a monumental waste of time.
Click to expand...

well we have the defense lawyers version and nothing else. i wouldnt expect police in Brighton have time to round up every begger, so contrary to teh claim otherwise i wonder if this targeted against agressive beggers.
 




8ace

8ace

Banned
Jul 21, 2003
23,811
Brighton
beorhthelm said:
well we have the defense lawyers version and nothing else. i wouldnt expect police in Brighton have time to round up every begger, so contrary to teh claim otherwise i wonder if this targeted against agressive beggers.
Click to expand...

Why don't you read the full story on the argus website you <mod edit> no thanks
 
Last edited by a moderator:


J

jay d

jay d n coke
Nov 16, 2014
833
brighton
Yep, go undercover looking for those people asking for 10p. But cut our police patroling the streets.
 


Eeyore

Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
23,538
The Police are welcome to stop anyone who is aggressive in their approach to the public. But most of these folk aren't.

There are a number of homeless folk near where I work. One of them an older fellow who I had a very eye opening conversation with Saturday. Seems his life fell apart after his wife lost her life to cancer. A very warm, genuine and undemanding man. What is most upsetting is the series of comments on the usual paper's section filled with bile and ignorance. Yes, there is a problem, yes some are a pain, some perhaps a bit dangerous. But many aren't. A lot find themselves in this situation because of a rotten series of events.

Instead of seeing people as a collective scum in society perhaps we should see them as individuals. They are not criminals until they act as such- and asking for fecking ten pence is not an act of criminality. Perhaps those who convict such individuals should think about how fortunate they are when they go back to their warm homes and happy family lives.
 




beorhthelm

beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,303
8ace said:
Why don't you read the full story on the argus website you
Click to expand...

i did, hence why i know the defense lawyer was quoted, and that he says there no agressive begging (well he would do wouldnt he?).
 
Last edited by a moderator:


The Fifth Column

The Fifth Column

Retired ex-cop
Nov 30, 2010
4,015
Escaped from Corruption
The streets of Brighton and Hove are awash with aggressive street drinkers, smackheads and beggars quite a lot of whom fit all 3 descriptions, its not the police's job to act as social workers and solve the problem of street homeless in the city but it is their job to deal with those committing offences. The offence of begging doesn't take into account whether you are asking for 10p or £10 so that headline is totally irrelevant and come off it, what beggar only asks for 10p?! Thats utter bollox, if you give him a quid he's not going to give you 90p change is he?

So are we to make begging no longer an offence? Good luck with that then when that knowledge spreads up and down the country and the numbers of beggars increases tenfold in the city, you'll all soon be moaning then when you can't sit down outside Costas with your poncy skinny latte without legally being bothered by yet another addict trying to score enough for their next ten bag.
 




Justice

Justice

Dangerous Idiot
Jun 21, 2012
18,612
Born In Shoreham
studio150 said:
No, the law of the land needs to be upheld or the fabric of society crumbles.

There are many people who are frightened by beggars and cross the road to avoid them, particularly if they are aggressive beggars by which I mean that they are in your face effectively demanding money.

Also you have been selective in posting the story, as in fact the report continues to comment that the Police look to arrest those that are known to have refused assistance that is available, as opposed to those that are seeking help to recover their lives.
Click to expand...
Quite right time to get them in flats and charge them bedroom tax or whatever shite the Tories come up with next to fleece the poor.
 




Triggaaar

Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
50,171
Goldstone
8ace said:
Why don't you read the full story on the argus website
Click to expand...
Could you edit your post please, to make it less offensive
 


Eeyore

Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
23,538
The Fifth Column said:
The streets of Brighton and Hove are awash with aggressive street drinkers, smackheads and beggars quite a lot of whom fit all 3 descriptions, its not the police's job to act as social workers and solve the problem of street homeless in the city but it is their job to deal with those committing offences. The offence of begging doesn't take into account whether you are asking for 10p or £10 so that headline is totally irrelevant and come off it, what beggar only asks for 10p?! Thats utter bollox, if you give him a quid he's not going to give you 90p change is he?

So are we to make begging no longer an offence? Good luck with that then when that knowledge spreads up and down the country and the numbers of beggars increases tenfold in the city, you'll all soon be moaning then when you can't sit down outside Costas with your poncy skinny latte without legally being bothered by yet another addict trying to score enough for their next ten bag.
Click to expand...

No. But we should be a bit more discerning in the application of law. Most people who have asked me for money in Brighton, and that's every day as I work and live in the town centre, are polite with it. If ever I am bothered by it I just remind myself of the accommodating flat I am going back to and tell myself that it's a case of 'there go we...'. Aggressive approaches are not welcome, but I can only think of one in recent months. Many years ago I was assaulted by a homeless person who asked for money. It hasn't changed my view.
 


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