An abusive vagrant caught begging, dancing round tables and playing air guitar in a café at a Morrisons’ supermarket has been detained for a day.
Derek Brackenbury, 61, who has 203 previous convictions, was a drunken nuisance in the supermarket in Five Lane Ends last Saturday, Bradford Magistrates’ Court heard.
Brackenbury, who was held in custody until his court appearance, told the Bench he was homeless. He admitted threatening behaviour and begging.
Prosecutor Marina Hunter-Gray said Brackenbury hassled customers for money at 1pm. He was playing a radio, dancing round café tables and pretending to strum a guitar.
Brackenbury was escorted from the premises but returned stinking of alcohol and coughing. The court heard he threatened to stab a customer in the face after the man asked him to go away.
Security staff and the police were called and Brackenbury was arrested.
He told police he lived on the streets and had been drinking vodka and cider. He did not have a knife and could not recall making the threat.
Solicitor Lisa Julian, for Brackenbury, said: “It was cold. He’d got no money and he wanted a cup of tea.”
She conceded her client’s drunken antics “might not be everyone’s cup of tea”.
Magistrates fined him £130 and, knowing he had no money, sentenced him to a day’s detention in default of payment.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article