Woman who ignored police order was 'desperate for food', magistrates told

A WOMAN failed to comply with a police notice to leave an area because she was desperate for food.

Swansea Magistrates' Court heard that Lisa Marie Carroll's benefit payments had been stopped and so she would regularly take advantage of free food made available in the city centre for people undergoing financial difficulties.

The 22-year-old, of Pier Street, Swansea had been in the Castle Gardens area of Swansea at about 2.15pm on April 2 when trouble got under way.

Julie Sullivan, prosecuting said police officers were on patrol in the vicinity when they spotted Carroll in an intoxicated state.

She said that general antisocial behaviour in the Castle Gardens area had been causing a concern to various surrounding businesses and visitors to the city.

Magistrates heard that the officers went to speak with Carroll, and when she became abusive she was issued with a formal notice directing her to leave the area and not return within the next 12 hours.

The court was told that officers issued such notices as a measure of prevention in situations where police felt that alcohol related offending may occur.

Carroll vacated the area, but at 11.05pm that night she was spotted walking there with her partner.

A police officer who was patrolling the city centre made checks and discovered that the defendant was not permitted to be there.

"She had the notice in her handbag," said Mrs Sullivan.

The court was told that Carroll stated to the officer: "I had to go and get my free food."

She pleaded guilty to failing to comply as well as being in breach of a conditional discharge.

Miss Sullivan said that was imposed for a public order offence Carroll had committed at 3.50pm on March 10 in High Street, Swansea.

Grayson Tanner, in mitigation, said his client had left the city centre as ordered to do so for a number of hours and only returned "in desperation" to get her food.

"Her benefit has been stopped for the past six weeks or so," he said.

Carroll was fined �70 with �15 costs and a �15 victim surcharge.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503366/s/1436f5c2/l/0L0Sthisissouthwales0O0Cnews0CWoman0Eignored0Epolice0Eorder0Edesperate0Efood0Emagistrates0Etold0Carticle0E3452180A0Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

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