Homeless man jailed after breaching bond

A homeless man with 76 prior convictions has been sentenced to four months in prison after breaching a one-year bond to keep the peace, less than a week after it was imposed.

Peter Samuel James found himself in breach after pleading guilty to loitering with intent. The 62-year-old of no fixed address was brought back before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court No. 2 and admitted to loitering at Sol Holborn Service Station, and that there was cause to suspect he was about to commit the arrestable offence of theft.

The court heard that police on duty at Central Station received a call and around 12:40 a.m. observed the accused on the premises of the service station, removing empty beer cases and attempting to place them in a trolley. When he was stopped and asked about the bottles, he replied: “Gimme a chance. Wunna gine lock me up for getting crates?” He was then arrested and charged.

Magistrate Manila Renee pointed out that he had breached the bond imposed during his appearance before that court last week on a similar charge and would therefore serve three months at Dodds Prison. She sentenced him to four months for the current charge, to run concurrently with the sentence for that breach.