Published: Thursday, 26th September 2019
Colin Morgan aged 52 from Highland Road in Cannock, has been found guilty of breaching his Community Protection Notice (CPN) for street drinking in Cannock town centre.
Mr Morgan appeared in Cannock Magistrates Court on 16 September after pleading guilty to the offence of breaching his CPN and for assaulting a police officer. He was fined £620 court costs, £160 for the offences and £30 victim surcharge.
In order to clamp down on the anti-social behaviour associated with persistent street drinking, Cannock Chase Council and Staffordshire Police issue CPNs under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, if the conduct of an individual is unreasonable and is having a detrimental effect on the local community’s quality of life.
Mr Morgan was warned about his behaviour and was offered support, before being issued with a CPN in December 2018. This was subsequently breached on numerous occasions, culminating in an assault on a police officer in July 2019.
As a result of the persistent nature of his behaviour, Mr Morgan has also had an application for a Criminal Behaviour Order submitted against him which is to be heard in November.
Councillor Carl Bennett, Portfolio Holder for Crime said “I am delighted with the result of this case. This conviction is the outcome of a process adopted by Cannock Chase Council and Staffordshire Police, whereby we can utilise the powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This helps us to tackle the problem of street drinkers in Cannock town centre, which are reported to us by the local community.
“This is a great example of how the Community Safety Partnership within the Council have worked with the Police. We will continue to provide help and support to the vulnerable, but I hope these serious fines are a stark warning to others that we will not tolerate street drinking in our town centres and we will continue to be vigilant.”
Chief Inspector Wainwright Cannock Chase NPT Commander stated “This is just another example of the work we are doing in partnership with Cannock Chase Council to improve the quality of life for our community”.