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Homeless chef lived at Gatwick airport for three years

10:02pm Monday 18th February 2008

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By Damien Pearse »

A homeless chef was locked up today after making Gatwick airport his home for THREE years.

"Cheeky" Anthony Delaney ate, showered and slept at the busy airport, brushing off security staff who stopped him more then 30 times.

He told his lawyers he was happier staying there because he was "clean, dry and warm".

In fact he rarely left the busy south terminal, popping out only occasionally to collect his Jobseeker's Allowance, the court was told.

In scenes reminiscent of the Steven Spielberg movie The Terminal, Delaney passed his days watching holidaymakers and airline staff going about their business.

A court was told he did not suffer mental health problems, was neither a drug nor alcohol addict, and did not cause "a stink".

But Judge Richard Hayward remanded him in custody for sentence believing his urge to return to Gatwick would be too strong should he be released.

He said: "It is a bit cheeky to go straight back to Gatwick. There are other places you can have a shower. This is just going on and on. It is all very strange."

Lewes Crown Court was told that Delaney had repeatedly defied an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo).

Even when he was jailed for breaching his Asbo, he returned to the airport as soon as he was released.

Delaney yesterday admitted breaching his order for the third time.

The court heard Delaney was sentenced to 95 days in prison for the last breach when he appeared at the same court on January 10.

Because he had spent time behind bars on remand waiting for his court appearance, he was released immediately.

Delaney then made his way back to the airport where he was arrested in the south terminal later the same day.

Sarah Lindop, prosecuting, told the court the Asbo was imposed in 2006 and remains in force until 2011.

The order prohibits him from entering the airport or its railway station.

Delaney first started living at the airport in 2004 and since February that year he has been stopped by security staff more than 30 times.

Under airport authority bylaws Delaney was officially banned in March 2005, but he continued to return.

The Asbo was imposed the following year.

Peter Knight, defending, said Delaney has been staying at the airport because he wanted to stay clean, dry and warm.

He said Delaney was only looking for shelter and did not cause trouble. He said: "It is not a situation where he goes to the airport and causes a stink.

"He is not there to cause problems at all. He is just simply there and is asked to leave on numerous occasions.

"The Asbo was put in place because he was using the airport as a residence."

Mr Knight said Delaney's problems started in 2004 when he lost his job in Buckinghamshire as a chef along with his accommodation.

He headed back to Sussex where he had previously lived in order to find work, but when he was unable to find a job he started using the airport as a place to stay.

In November last year he bought a tent and a sleeping bag but it was burnt down and Delaney has not been able to buy replacements.

He said: "It is an offence borne out of desperation. He does not want to continue living like this."

Judge Hayward told Delaney he needed help to break the cycle of returning to the airport.

The judge adjourned sentence for pre-sentence reports in order for the probation service to try to offer help. But he told Delaney he was not releasing him on bail.

He said: "If I give you bail you have nowhere to go and the temptation to end up back at Gatwick would be overwhelming."

Delaney was remanded in custody until March 10.

The Argus last week revealed a bizarre situation across Sussex in which local authorities, following Government guidelines, are claiming tiny numbers of people actually live on the county's streets. The department for Communities and Local Government defines a rough sleeper as someone "sleeping or bedded down in the open air, such as on the streets or in parks, doorways or bus shelters".

Anybody not lying down asleep in a sleeping bag is not counted. Under that rationale Crawley Borough Council said there are fewer than 10 rough sleepers in the district.

Paul Young, founder of Brighton-based homeless charity Off the Fence, said: "It's a sad situation when someone feels sleeping in an airport is the only option.

"However it is understandable when the weather is so cold on the streets.

"I'm surprised he got away with it for so long, he almost has squatters rights after that length of time."

A spokeswoman for Gatwick airport declined to comment.

In the film The Terminal, Tom Hanks plays an Eastern European tourist who becomes a resident of New York airport when a war breaks out and erases his country from the map, voiding his passport.

Your Say YourArgus

Harry the Fag, Brighton says...
10:20pm Mon 18 Feb 08

I say leave the lad alone if he isn't causing any bother to anyone.

Mind you although infinitely better than Heathrow, who on earth wants to hang around Gatwick airport longer than they have to?

John, Cyberairport says...
10:25pm Mon 18 Feb 08

"he bought a tent and a sleeping bag but it was burnt down"
Arson with intent?

Frank Graham, Hove says...
10:45pm Mon 18 Feb 08

You have to admire his will to survive an dif he wasnt causing problems why such a strog reaction hte real problem is homelessness itself and this is what should be tackled not victims of homelessness.

Andrew, Brighton says...
11:22pm Mon 18 Feb 08

Ive always been one of the first to advocate locking up scumbags drunks and addicts (bit hard some would say, but why should the decent people have to put up with them)

Anyway to the point. It seems terribly cruel to lock this guy up, even if he has broken the conditions of his ASBO. Still, he's had a good run I suppose . . .

Cant someone give he a job, with basic accomodation? (no - not airside)

Tez, Third planet says...
11:53pm Mon 18 Feb 08

Just because he wants to get his head down some where warm. The courts are not willing to get their head around more serious offences happening daily with Asbo. Its easy to deal with him, a lost lad by the sounds of it.
We give asylum seeker and illegals homes to live in why don't the courts demand a place for him rather then lock him up.

Stephan, Hove says...
1:57am Tue 19 Feb 08

I am shocked and surprised at the snail's pace currently of this country's courts. If this man had been dealt with after the first offence, then we wouldn't be reading about his crimes, three plus years later. This man knowingly breached an ASBO that he received and nothing was done. How often do we read about undesirables treating our justice system like a joke? Let's just hope this sends out a clear warning to others who choose not to pay their rent on time and in full and then expect sympathy for sleeping at one of Britain's main airports, and i may add, due to his own irrisponsibility. I do hope that he receives a long custodial sentence as going by his track record nothing else will suffice, like previously mentioned in this post regarding the law and its treatment as a joke by this gentleman, he needs to treat it with respect. I do have some sympathy with him as i once missed a late night train and had to sleep rough in the station for many, many hours so i to, have experience of rough sleeping but i did not choose to make the station my home. If more of these types were dealt with a bit more harshly by the courts, there would not be the eyesore that this country in many towns and city's have, along with their begging and other anti social behaviours. Hopefully upon his release he will not go back to Gatwick and cause problems for innocent citizens who are probably quite frightened by his behaviour. I feel very strongly that he may have been encouraged to act out by misguided folks, who probably do not see what a problem he can be as they are in transit. I would not dare hazard a guess as to how much this man has cost the taxpayer!

Phil McCaverty, South Terminal says...
4:28am Tue 19 Feb 08

Great. Stephan wonders how much this man has cost the taxpayers. Stephan wants him to receive a long custodial sentence. D'oh.

Ben Dover, North Terminal says...
7:24am Tue 19 Feb 08

Stephan-what a charming human being you must be. This man's sleeping at the airport is hardly a one man crime wave.

I hope life throws you a situation where you find yourself in his situation-maybe then you'll be a little more compassionate-and hopefully destitute enough where you find yourself desperate for somewhere warm and dry to sleep for the night. This guy is not a drug addict, a mugger, an alcoholic. You on the other hand are a complete ****. Where does it state that this guy has caused any problems or frightened anybody?

As for costing the tax payer money-is that all people like you think about? What about suggesting ways to help people like him? You are a typical Cameron card carrying toady who thinks of nobody other than themselves.

johnathon dross, says...
8:28am Tue 19 Feb 08

One less on the streets person off the streets. Good job he's locked up, otherwise some poor knife wielding yobbo might have got his cell instead, and we can't have that while there are pensioners and neighbours out there to stab and intimidate...

Slagbag, Anytime anywhere anybloke says...
8:30am Tue 19 Feb 08

It's getting dangerous when they lock you up because you are homeless. Once the homeless have gone, then they'll lock the disabled up etc etc. Really fed up with the way this country is going.

Mad,Bad & dangerous, Lewes says...
8:51am Tue 19 Feb 08

What a pathetic criminal this man is he hasn't even mugged anyone, beat anybody up or nicked anything he certainly doesn't deserve a place at the university of crime, there are much more deserving yobs and criminals who have been trying and trying to get banged up for ages with no luck maybe they should sleep rough or not pay their council tax? on a serious note maybe this man knows he will get three hot meals, a bed ansd some recreation. As for stephan look inside yourself and ask do you really like what you see?

Graham, Portslade says...
8:57am Tue 19 Feb 08

It IS a laborious process, but if you take the trouble to remove the hairs with tweezers, the skin will firm up nicely under the grill. Not only that, but the sugar coating won't form lumps which can be little too crunchy.

Tony, Hove says...
9:37am Tue 19 Feb 08

No sympathy for him, knew him via some friends many years ago, not a nice person and there are other reasons why he could possibly be jailed - In 2005 got done for stealing from passengers bags - http://www.uk-airpor
t-news.info/gatwick-
airport-news-081205.
htm

Flat Foot Soozie, Brusnwick Square says...
9:42am Tue 19 Feb 08

The article does not tell us how he managed to get into these Gatwick showers. Where are they? Some of the regular passengers could certainly do with using them to judge by the tang from their polymixture suits.

Jim, Brighton says...
9:56am Tue 19 Feb 08

Stephan.
Let me get this straight - you missed a train once and slept on the station until the next one arrived and you think that this in some way gives you a balanced view of what it's like to sleep rough?
Idiot.

In the Shower, Cambridge Rd says...
10:35am Tue 19 Feb 08

Stephan wrote:
I am shocked and surprised at the snail\'s pace currently of this country\'s courts. If this man had been dealt with after the first offence, then we wouldn\'t be reading about his crimes, three plus years later. This man knowingly breached an ASBO that he received and nothing was done. How often do we read about undesirables treating our justice system like a joke? Let\'s just hope this sends out a clear warning to others who choose not to pay their rent on time and in full and then expect sympathy for sleeping at one of Britain\'s main airports, and i may add, due to his own irrisponsibility. I do hope that he receives a long custodial sentence as going by his track record nothing else will suffice, like previously mentioned in this post regarding the law and its treatment as a joke by this gentleman, he needs to treat it with respect. I do have some sympathy with him as i once missed a late night train and had to sleep rough in the station for many, many hours so i to, have experience of rough sleeping but i did not choose to make the station my home. If more of these types were dealt with a bit more harshly by the courts, there would not be the eyesore that this country in many towns and city\'s have, along with their begging and other anti social behaviours. Hopefully upon his release he will not go back to Gatwick and cause problems for innocent citizens who are probably quite frightened by his behaviour. I feel very strongly that he may have been encouraged to act out by misguided folks, who probably do not see what a problem he can be as they are in transit. I would not dare hazard a guess as to how much this man has cost the taxpayer!
Your not Stephen Sharp are you per chance?

The good shepard, Crawley says...
10:57am Tue 19 Feb 08

Yes it's true that he has breeched his asbo's order, but why did it take so long for it to get to court if BAA was aware of him staying there why was'nt it dealt with earlier!Maybe the system is to blame if there was more shelters for the homeless in West-Sussex or more home's for people maybe this would solve them problem, seem's that the only housing avalable is a cell was at any point shelter offered or recommened from the courts! wake up this fella has been failed by the system and treated as a hardened criminal!! hopefully I will never be homeless

Ian, Hove says...
11:04am Tue 19 Feb 08

Women with loads of kids get housed these days as do addicts and other types. This lad has been dealt a bad hand , someone help him out to get onto his feet

JOHNBOY, brighton says...
11:28am Tue 19 Feb 08

Poor lost soul!For 3 yrs hes been ponceing off our taxes. "Job seekers allowance"? what job can he find when hes stuck at the airport? All you useless lot that feel sorry for him, make us "TAX PAYERS" feel sick.Last year, 1,000,000 jobs were filled by immigrants and , because lazy ba*stards like him could not get off their a*s and look for a job. The problem with you lot of labour supporters, is that work would interfere with the pub and betting shop. GET A LIFE,(and a job}

The good shepard, Crawley says...
12:04pm Tue 19 Feb 08

johnboy you are missing the point in order to get a job in the UK you need to have a home and in order to get a home you need a job what come first chicken or the egg!! I too am a tax payer I am not useless but human!you should point your frustration at the system which has failed this fella our goverment pays out millions every year to people who come from oversea's seeking a better life!OH AND JUST INCASE YOU MISSED THE POINT! whilst he is in prison who is picking up the bill???? answer's on a post card please...... and for those who dont have a postcard TAXPAYERS!!!!!!!!!.

Elderly Brighton, Brighton says...
1:17pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Wow, what a great idea using the airport space to keep warm and clean, sounds good to me. Here am I trying to keep warm and feed myself on a truely inadequate pension whereupon I often have to make a choice between whether to eat or keep warm. I could save a fortune if I spent my days at the airport - it would cut out all my heating bills and I might just live to make 70 afterall!! Me and all my mates at the over 70's club are going to spend our days up at the airport in future. I didn't realise there was somewhere so nice, warm, & with shops and showers we could all see out our days at. Come on oldies, what are you waiting for???

bob, lewes says...
1:24pm Tue 19 Feb 08

"As for costing the tax payer money-is that all people like you think about?"

No but in that case it works both ways -would you fancy making a contribution to my mortgage payments then??

tom, Brighton says...
2:29pm Tue 19 Feb 08

He was always rubbing his hands together which was a bit odd.

ON A POSTCARD, brighton says...
2:59pm Tue 19 Feb 08

I do not agree with sending him to prison, and never said so. I say "STOP" his dole money, and send him to Father Allens home for the homeless.That way, people like The Good Shepard, and silly Bob, can make their own donations and give personal help for their "cause". If he cant get a job because of no home, then how does a newly arrived immigrant get a job? You deluded people never seem to learn that these layabouts do not want to work.While you feel sorry for them, my tax bill keeps on rising, so i suggest next time you feel so sad for these "fiddlers of the system" you take them in your own home. DIFFERENT STORY NOW IS IT ?

ON A POSTCARD, brighton says...
3:03pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Sorry Bob, the other bloke annoyed me so much, i never read your letter fully. I should have. Once again SORRY.

Funny Argus, Bognor says...
3:24pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Did he sleep under one of the planes at the terminal?

loulou, brighton says...
4:04pm Tue 19 Feb 08

This is a sad reflection of the housing crisis in sussex and indeed the UK.Bring on teh crash and end this nonsense.

Dave, Hove says...
4:38pm Tue 19 Feb 08

If you think its ok for him to sleep in the airport, as some of you have stated, why do you not let him sleep in your front room/house?? How can it be ok to live in an airport?? Some of you lot are beyond me with tyour comments.

Jay the Man, Sleeping in a locker @ Gatwick says...
4:39pm Tue 19 Feb 08

I like living in an airport, my anorak matches all the plane spotters !!!!!

Milf, in town says...
4:45pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Dave wrote:
If you think its ok for him to sleep in the airport, as some of you have stated, why do you not let him sleep in your front room/house?? How can it be ok to live in an airport?? Some of you lot are beyond me with tyour comments.
Because it IS ok for him to sleep in an airport and my home is NOT an airport. Simple enough for you to understand?

Stephan, Hove says...
4:48pm Tue 19 Feb 08

This is the full story.

http://www.uk-airpor

t-news.info/gatwick-

airport-news-081205.

htm

Milf Hunter, Bangbus says...
4:50pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Milf wrote:
Dave wrote: If you think its ok for him to sleep in the airport, as some of you have stated, why do you not let him sleep in your front room/house?? How can it be ok to live in an airport?? Some of you lot are beyond me with tyour comments.
Because it IS ok for him to sleep in an airport and my home is NOT an airport. Simple enough for you to understand?
Gilf,

So you are not very sympathetic to him then are you?

Simple enough for your retarded brain?

Me, Brighton, central says...
4:50pm Tue 19 Feb 08

http://www.uk-airpor

t-news.info/gatwick-

airport-news-081205.

htm

Milf, in a nightie says...
4:58pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Milf Hunter wrote:
Milf wrote:
Dave wrote: If you think its ok for him to sleep in the airport, as some of you have stated, why do you not let him sleep in your front room/house?? How can it be ok to live in an airport?? Some of you lot are beyond me with tyour comments.
Because it IS ok for him to sleep in an airport and my home is NOT an airport. Simple enough for you to understand?
Gilf, So you are not very sympathetic to him then are you? Simple enough for your retarded brain?
Not in the slightest.
Are you offering to share your bed with him?
Thought not.
All mouth and trousers.
And no braces.
At all.
Plop.
xx

Steve B, Council Pound says...
8:09pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Stephan wrote:
I am shocked and surprised at the snail's pace currently of this country's courts. If this man had been dealt with after the first offence, then we wouldn't be reading about his crimes, three plus years later. This man knowingly breached an ASBO that he received and nothing was done. How often do we read about undesirables treating our justice system like a joke? Let's just hope this sends out a clear warning to others who choose not to pay their rent on time and in full and then expect sympathy for sleeping at one of Britain's main airports, and i may add, due to his own irrisponsibility. I do hope that he receives a long custodial sentence as going by his track record nothing else will suffice, like previously mentioned in this post regarding the law and its treatment as a joke by this gentleman, he needs to treat it with respect. I do have some sympathy with him as i once missed a late night train and had to sleep rough in the station for many, many hours so i to, have experience of rough sleeping but i did not choose to make the station my home. If more of these types were dealt with a bit more harshly by the courts, there would not be the eyesore that this country in many towns and city's have, along with their begging and other anti social behaviours. Hopefully upon his release he will not go back to Gatwick and cause problems for innocent citizens who are probably quite frightened by his behaviour. I feel very strongly that he may have been encouraged to act out by misguided folks, who probably do not see what a problem he can be as they are in transit. I would not dare hazard a guess as to how much this man has cost the taxpayer!
Couldn't agree more mate.

Mike, Shoreham Airport says...
8:28pm Tue 19 Feb 08

Good on him for managing to sleep there for so long. If your homeless i guess its a really great place to sleep.
Unfortunately he is no longer wanted there so he will have to find somewhere else. i hear Heathrow is quite nice this time of year.

charlie, brighton says...
12:55am Wed 20 Feb 08

Elderly Brighton wrote:
Wow, what a great idea using the airport space to keep warm and clean, sounds good to me. Here am I trying to keep warm and feed myself on a truely inadequate pension whereupon I often have to make a choice between whether to eat or keep warm. I could save a fortune if I spent my days at the airport - it would cut out all my heating bills and I might just live to make 70 afterall!! Me and all my mates at the over 70\'s club are going to spend our days up at the airport in future. I didn\'t realise there was somewhere so nice, warm, & with shops and showers we could all see out our days at. Come on oldies, what are you waiting for???
Im not that old,but think I will join you,at least you have a sense of humour,unlike silver spoon stephan.And I thought prisons were full. he obviously has survival skills.All the restaurants in gatwick that serve awful food must need a chef,and he would be on hand!
quote

Gino, Portslade says...
8:34am Wed 20 Feb 08

I was quite sympathetic to this guy until I read about him stealing from bags. Guy living harmlessly at airport = charming Tom-Hanks-style eccentric. Guy living at airport and stealing = idle, low-life scumbag.

Alan, San Diego, USA says...
5:57pm Thu 21 Feb 08

The court would've done better to find a job for him at Gatwick, as a cook.

rebekah, uk says...
10:37pm Sun 13 Apr 08

The fact is, most homeless hostels are full of druggies and drunks, some of whom are violent. Theyre not clean, because the tenants dont look after them. This bloke probably felt a **** sight safer with 'normal' people at the airport. Saying that, what would it be like if tons of homeless people stayed there...it wouldnt be feasible, and may be a security risk. He should be given a flat if he wants one! All the asylum seekers are.

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