Paul Sharkey, of no fixed abode, was brought back into the dock in custody after being found "begging" in an area he is banned from. He pleaded guilty to breaching a community protection notice, failing to comply with a section 35 dispersal order and failing to surrender to custody.
The 34-year-old has 112 offences on his record, mainly for begging, being found in the city centre and drug possession. He has been homeless for more than a decade and suffers from drug addiction, with no form of income. His solicitor, Rebecca Highton, said he still owes around £16,000 to the courts, after some of his fines were reduced.
Why he breached the ban
Sharkey is subject to a community protection notice banning him from Newcastle City Centre, but he continuously breaches it because it is an area where he "feels safe" due to extensive CCTV coverage. Miss Highton told the court that Sharkey was once seriously assaulted and prefers to sleep in areas where there are multiple cameras.
Miss Highton said: "The only crime Mr Sharkey is really committing here is being homeless." She added: "Ten to 15 years ago, he was violently assaulted when he was still of no fixed abode. The area didn't have significant CCTV and the perpetrators were never found. Mr Sharkey doesn't like to sleep or remain in areas that don't have CCTV in fear of it happening again. This order covers areas of Newcastle extensively monitored by CCTV. He doesn't feel safe outside areas that are not extensively covered by CCTV."
Miss Highton said: "He's between a rock and a hard place." She added: "He's got extensive fines owing to the court. They were reduced but they are still in the region of £15,000 to £16,000. You can't really do much else but give him an absolute discharge and a warning to stay out of the city centre, which, I will admit, he's unlikely to do."
Incident on Northumberland Street
The court heard that Sharkey was caught in Newcastle City Centre by an officer earlier this year. Then, on July 7, he failed to listen to a direction, given by a police constable, to leave Northumberland Street.
Emily Hunt, prosecuting, said: "A dispersal notice was issued due to anti-social behaviour on Northumberland Street due to begging. The defendant was in the area and breached that dispersal notice."
Sentence
Magistrates gave Sharkey a 12-month community order and said they hoped the Probation Service could help him with his accommodation issues. He was also fined £114.
