Man jailed for entering Brighton park (From The Argus)
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Man jailed for entering Brighton park
1:00pm Friday 1st June 2012 in News
A street drinker was jailed for eight weeks for walking into a park.
Homeless alcoholic Francisco Mendonca breached an antisocial behaviour order by going into Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, on Saturday.
He had been banned from the area in January.
The 48-year-old was also breaching a 28-day suspended sentence handed down in March.
Presiding magistrate Juliet Smith invoked that sentence and gave Mendonca another four weeks behind bars to run consecutively.
Ray Pape, defending, said Mendonca’s life fell apart after the Portuguese former chef was in a car accident in the 1990s.
He still needs a hip operation for his injuries but medics have refused to treat him while he is on the streets because of his poor chance of recovery.
Comments(19)
UglyAmerican
says...
1:33pm Fri 1 Jun 12
.
And he's not an alcoholic, he's a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings.
Andy R
says...
2:46pm Fri 1 Jun 12
UglyAmerican wrote:Duh......
3 meals and a warm dry place to sleep. . And he's not an alcoholic, he's a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings.
Goldenwight
says...
3:02pm Fri 1 Jun 12
But clearly the man wasn't going to pay any attention to polite requests and second chances so had to be made to 'realise the error of his ways.'
And it isn't so much that medics are refusing, it is that whilst he is on the streets he wouldn't be in a position to deal with post-operative conditions. I'm another street person and had a minor back operation just after Easter, but had to make arrangements to find accommodation for a fortnight and attend a nurse daily throughout that time. And this is a far more serious operation.
I suspect that this tale is just made up by his defence team anyway, but if this is the truth he would be a priority case for housing- or is there some reason why he won't take it? I don't know this guy personally, so I can't say.
rolivan
says...
3:05pm Fri 1 Jun 12
UglyAmerican wrote:I thought recovering Alcoholics go to meetings.
3 meals and a warm dry place to sleep.
.
And he's not an alcoholic, he's a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings.
GIVE UP
says...
3:05pm Fri 1 Jun 12
Hotbeans
says...
3:12pm Fri 1 Jun 12
cookie_brighton
says...
4:30pm Fri 1 Jun 12
As someone has already posted he will be released with his illness, the same as he was when he entered prison.
NOT ALL alcoholics go to meetings.....only the ones that accept that they are an alcoholic, which is the biggest step, and they choose to attend meetings.
brighton-breezy
says...
5:59pm Fri 1 Jun 12
Goldenwight
says...
6:00pm Fri 1 Jun 12
cookie_brighton wrote:Whilst I agree with you that alcoholism is an illness, he isn't being sent to prison for alcoholism- he is being sent to prison for repeatedly ignoring warnings and last chances to clean up his act. I would expect no less.
Alcoholism is an illness, it is wrong to send this guy to prison....at a cost to the tax payer, when the money spent on keeping him in prison could be put towards treating the illness. As someone has already posted he will be released with his illness, the same as he was when he entered prison. NOT ALL alcoholics go to meetings.....only the ones that accept that they are an alcoholic, which is the biggest step, and they choose to attend meetings.
Having said that, even if he HAD tried to seek (medical) help for his alcoholism, he would have got little assistance from the authorities. Ironically, his time in prison will finally give him access to the help he needs together with a chance to dry out for a few days. I sincerely hope he takes it.
John Steed
says...
7:06am Sat 2 Jun 12
the taxpayer is picking up the cost of this persons chosen lifestyle, and I stress chosen, nobody forces him to drink, nobody forces him to break the conditions of his ASBO and nobody is forcing him to stay in the UK (jail time excluded.)
and before anyone starts saying he is an EU citizen and has a right to be here, it is possible & simple to kick him out. he would not get the soft treatment in most of the other EU states,
mimseycal
says...
7:14am Sat 2 Jun 12
Reflect on your post
says...
8:44am Sat 2 Jun 12
brighton-breezy wrote:There is also inconsistency in correct grammar and spelling in posts on this site.
They send this guy to prison, and yet the bloke the other day that bashed an innocent person and pulled a knife on them in Kemp Town got off with a suspended? what is going on, there seems to be no consistancy in the justice system.
mimseycal
says...
9:02am Sat 2 Jun 12
Hove marauder
says...
9:24am Sun 3 Jun 12
John Steed wrote:Exactly.
deport him home to portugal, he is serving no useful purpose here.
the taxpayer is picking up the cost of this persons chosen lifestyle, and I stress chosen, nobody forces him to drink, nobody forces him to break the conditions of his ASBO and nobody is forcing him to stay in the UK (jail time excluded.)
and before anyone starts saying he is an EU citizen and has a right to be here, it is possible & simple to kick him out. he would not get the soft treatment in most of the other EU states,
NickBrt
says...
9:27am Sun 3 Jun 12
mimseycal
says...
9:55am Sun 3 Jun 12
NickBrt
says...
11:21am Sun 3 Jun 12
mimseycal
says...
11:24am Sun 3 Jun 12
NickBrt wrote:How come you took my comment as referring to your post?
I agree, mimseycal, so when will you stop posting?
rolivan says...
1:17pm Fri 1 Jun 12