ONE of Bradford’s regular nuisance offenders has been jailed for two years and four months after the judge told him: ‘You have been dealt with generously in the past; the courts’ generosity has run out.’

This week, Steven Stokes was sentenced for 13 offences, including urinating in his police cell, spitting at two officers and a spree of high value shop thefts in the city centre.

Stokes, 28, of Oak Avenue, Manningham, blamed his criminality on others who ‘encouraged him to offend,’ his solicitor advocate said.

Bradford Crown Court heard that he had racked up 32 previous convictions for 55 offences, including ten public order offences, four of which racially aggravated; nine assaults on emergency workers; and eight criminal damage matters.

His latest series of offences included urinating in his cell at Trafalgar House Police Station at 3am on February 21 last year after threatening to stage ‘a dirty protest’ and throw it at the officers. He then spat at two of them and when a spit hood was put on him he launched a tirade of abuse at one of them using vile racist language.

Charges of criminal damage, assaulting two police officers and using racially aggravated abusive or insulting words or behaviour followed.

Stokes failed to turn up for his trial and was convicted in his absence by the city’s magistrates.

He then committed the spree of high value shop thefts in January and February this year, including stealing £208 worth of confectionary from One Below; electric shavers valued at £210 from Boots in The Broadway Centre; goods worth £210 from Morrisons on Thornton Road; clothing valued at £94.99 from Superdry in The Broadway Centre; and hundreds of pounds of perfume during three raids on The Fragrance Shop, also in The Broadway Centre.

Simon Hustler said in mitigation that Stokes had been excluded from all schools since he was nine and had experienced difficulties growing up in Canterbury in Bradford.

His mother had been a constant and positive force in his life and she was willing to offer him a home.

Stokes blamed his criminality on others who ‘encouraged him to offend,’ Mr Hustler said.

He had been remanded in HMP Leeds since March 14 and the recommendation from his probation officer was for a non-custodial sentence.

Judge Andrew Hatton said Stokes had a significant criminal record and was a regular and repeat nuisance offender. Today he was going to receive a sentence that would make him realise the error of his ways.

“You have been dealt with generously in the past, the courts’ generosity has run out,” he told him.