A mentally ill man locked up twice for flouting a court order by repeatedly entering Sainsbury’s in Penrith has been sentenced by magistrates.
Shane Wright, 45, was served with a two-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) in July which was aimed at preventing further offending. One condition prohibited him from going into the supermarket.
In late August, Wright, of Champion Way, Penrith, was handed a 12-week prison term for breaching the order. He was released on October 7 after serving half that sentence in custody. But within hours he was back in trouble.
Prosecutor Pam Ward told Carlisle magistrates’ court today that Wright first went to the store at 8.30pm and bought a mobile phone top-up. He was told by a security guard he should not be there, and left.
Wright returned 20 minutes later, asking for a receipt, and went back a third time at 9.50pm seeking to buy a lighter. “He (the security guard) did allow him to buy the lighter in order to keep the peace,” said Mrs Ward.
But having been warned not to return, Wright went back to the supermarket twice the next morning — before it opened at 5.50am, and then at 7.40am when he wanted to buy a television.
Wright admitted five CBO breaches early last month but was remanded in custody while a report was prepared by the probation service about how best to deal with him going forward.
His solicitor, Mark Shepherd, told today’s sentencing hearing Wright had been out of trouble for almost two decades before last year. “It is quite clear when meeting this man, upon reading the report, he is vulnerable. It is quite clear he is mentally disordered,” said Mr Shepherd.
Probation had concluded Wright did engage well with treatment. And Mr Shepherd added: “I would ask, in the circumstances, the court gives him an opportunity to be treated and gives him a clean slate.”
Magistrates imposed a six-month community order comprising a mental health treatment requirement.
In response, Wright said from the court dock: “Thanks for not sending me back to prison because I was dreading that.” He had also insisted: “I won’t breach my order again.”
The presiding magistrate warned him: “Just remember, don’t go into Sainsbury’s at all.” And Wright was told: “If you do this again, you will come back to court again, and you may well go back to prison.”
