A man threw a wheelie bin through the window of a sandwich shop because he wanted to be arrested and sent back to prison, a court has heard. Jamie Evans smashed the window of the Subway shop in Taff Street, Pontypridd, and then walked to his local police station to report what he had done, telling officers he was "struggling" on the "outside".
Cardiff Crown Court heard that at the time of the incident Evans was subject to a suspended sentence imposed for an assault. Denise Osei, prosecuting, said that at 10.30pm on June 26 South Wales Police received a call from the defendant saying he had thrown a wheelie bin through the window and was outside the police station. Evans told officers he had committed the damage because he was "struggling" on the "outside" and wanted to go back to jail.
Arrest and CCTV Evidence
Evans was arrested and subsequently refused to be interviewed but provided a prepared statement repeating his phone account. CCTV footage showed the 33-year-old swinging the bin at the shop window and kicking it. The damage to the shopfront was valued at £1,447 plus VAT.
In a statement read to the court, the business owner described the impact of the offending and raised concerns for staff safety, noting that employees had left the premises just 10 minutes before the incident.
Previous Convictions and Sentencing
Evans, of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to criminal damage. He has 40 previous convictions for 50 offences, including 13 for criminal damage. His last conviction was in February, when he received a 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Daniel Jones, defending, said his client had been on remand for four months, while the maximum sentence for the offence was three months. He noted Evans had also spent three months in custody before receiving the suspended sentence and argued for a sentence resulting in immediate release.
Court Decision
Recorder Paul Lewis KC acknowledged the impact on franchise businesses like Subway. He said Evans had deliberately thrown the bin through the window to get arrested and achieve his aim of returning to custody. The recorder noted Evans had been in custody for almost four months, longer than any sentence he could reasonably impose for criminal damage, and questioned what to do with him if released immediately.
With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Evans was sentenced to one month in prison. The recorder decided not to activate the February suspended sentence, instead fining Evans £100 for breaching the order, which was considered paid by time served. He said Evans' release from custody was expected to be imminent. No compensation order was made due to the defendant's financial position.
