HERE’S a selection of court cases featured in this week’s Barnsley Chronicle
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A HOMELESS man who stole 20 cans of lager from an off-licence has been given an eight-week jail term due to his ‘terrible’ record.
John Bortoft, 31, pleaded guilty to shoplifting from The Tap, on Racecommon Road, at around 9.40am last Wednesday.
Serial thief Bortoft, who has been charged seven times for related offences since July, appeared at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on Monday, and had been drinking throughout the day.
Having ran out of money, he entered the shop and made off with the crate of Carling, magistrates were told.
The Crown Prosecution Service also applied for an alcohol banning order, which was approved, to prevent Bartoft from drinking alcohol anywhere in a public place across the Barnsley borough upon his release for prison for a 12-month period.
Julian Brook, defending, said: “He has no family to support him and drinks in order to drown out the humdrum of passing vehicles so he can sleep. Who can blame him?
“Up until recently he was sleeping in a tent, which was stolen from him, and he’s been homeless without anyone to turn to.
“As for the banning order, we live in England, not Nazi Germany. It’s Draconian to implement that as banning him from drinking alcohol in public will not stop his problems.”
Bortoft was also ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge and £15 in compensation.
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A BARNSLEY man is facing prison and having to pay costs of more than £1,000 for storing, repairing and dismantling unauthorised vehicles without the correct planning permission.
Kenneth Wilson, of Dearne Hall Road, Low Barugh, failed to attend a court hearing in Barnsley brought by the council’s Safer Neighbourhood Service.
The case had already resulted in a successful prosecution in May 2016 and an injunction in July 2017 when Wilson was found guilty of storing vehicles at a site off Midland Road, Royston. Despite the injunction, activities continued with vehicles and vehicle scrap still being kept on the land.
Wilson, 49, was found in contempt of court at the latest hearing on October 31 and sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment, suspended on the condition he clears the site within four weeks and follows site conditions. He was also ordered to pay the council £1,075.
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A TRIAL date has been set for a Barnsley man who has denied assaulting four police officers.
David Fairweather, of Princess Street, pleaded not guilty to the offences which are alleged to have took place on Wellington Street in the town centre September 2.
The 38-year-old will next appear at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on January 25.
