Brighton Pride criminals in court for drugs, drink-driving and assault

Drugs, drink-driving and disorderly behaviour are some of the offences these five men and women committed over the weekend of August 4 and 5 in Brighton.

Daniel Teape, Luke Smith, Kieran Denvir, Sharon Doyle and Sophie Reed were hauled before Brighton magistrates on Thursday and all pleaded guilty to their charges.

Some realised and confessed they had made stupid decisions, while others showed a lack of contrition in the dock.

Today, we are bringing you each of their court cases.

A few have tarnished their good character by carrying crystal meth and party drugs, or attacking hospital workers and throwing hot food at custody officers.

However, some of these lawbreakers have repeated their offences – in the case of Denvir, just days after committing the same crime of being drunk and disorderly in Northern Ireland.

More than 450,000 revellers flooded the city over Pride weekend, and police made more than 30 arrests for a range of offences.

Sixteen people were released under investigation, four were released without charge and six others who were arrested were either given a fixed penalty, a simple caution or a community resolution. Despite the handful of charges brought from the arrests, the force said after the event it had been a successful operation.

Chief Superintendent Neil Honnor, of Sussex Police, said at the time: “We are extremely proud to be a part of such an inclusive and diverse event in the city.

“Months of preparation has taken place in the run up to this weekend and it all would not have been possible without the support and hard work from all of the partner agencies involved. I would like to extend my thanks to everyone involved. We ensured the safety of those attending the Pride events across the city.”

Others charged over Pride are due to appear in court on September 6. Michael Daniels, 47, from Hove and Abdouilie Jadama, 20, from Crawley are charged with drugs offences and Morakile Kosi, 32, from Bexhill ,faces a charge of criminal damage. They will appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

IRISHMAN Kieran Denvir was caught trying to burn bank notes in Molly Malone’s.

Denvir, previously of St Catherine’s Road in Littlehampton, was kicked out shortly after midnight on the Sunday of Pride weekend by staff at the Irish pub who said he smelt of booze.

He then began shouting abuse and acting aggressively outside the pub, Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday.

Representing himself, Denvir, 45, said he had been drinking Guinness in the pub and was booted out “unnecessarily” after he slipped and fell on a wet surface, and insisted he was not drunk.

Denvir, who now lives in London, told magistrates he was pleading guilty to being drunk and disorderly in public because he “would not be coming back” for a trial, and he wanted the court case out the way.

He said: “I’ll plead guilty just to have it dealt with today.”

He told the court he owes “thousands of pounds” in unpaid fines.

The incident came just days after Denvir pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and in possession of cannabis in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for which he received a suspended sentence. However, the Pride crime did not trigger a breach of the sentence as it was not in the same jurisdiction.

Magistrate Matthew Irish gave Denvir a nine-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £85 in costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

SOPHIE Reed was more than twice the legal limit when she got behind the wheel of her Fiat.

The 19-year-old was spotted by police officers in West Street, Brighton, on the Saturday of Pride weekend when she began honking the car horn to force revellers out the road.

Martina Sherlock, prosecuting, said Reed had been driving “aggressively” and officers suspected her of drink-driving.

They spoke to her at traffic lights at the bottom of West Street and she was arrested.

Reed, of Parklands Road, Hassocks, was breathalysed and the test revealed her to have 76 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Reed, representing herself at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal limit of alcohol.

When asked if she had anything to say for herself, Reed said: “I don’t really know what to say. I’m just really sorry.

“I understand what I’ve done and I understand the consequences.

“I deserve it. It’s not OK.”

She told the court she had one passenger in the car who she had picked up moments before she was caught.

Reed was disqualified from driving for 18 months, but agreed to undergo an awareness course to have that slashed by 18 weeks.

Magistrate Matthew Irish said her actions were “unacceptable” but took into account her “honesty”. He ordered her to pay £85 in costs, a £30 victim surcharge and a fine of £207.

A SNIFFER dog caught Daniel Teape carrying crystal meth and other party drugs on Brighton seafront.

He had been using the Class A drug during the Sunday of Pride weekend while visiting the city from London.

Police officers were alerted to Teape, 36, when one of their drug dogs sniffed him out near the entrance to Pride Village in Marine Parade shortly after 6.30pm.

Teape, of Mitcham, Merton, was taken to a search tent where he was found with one deal bag of meth, a 50ml bottle of GHB – a party drug, popular on the city’s gay scene, that can kill you – and five bags of anabolic steroids, Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday.

Teape, a night team leader at Waitrose, told police he only intended to use the drugs himself.

He pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug and two counts of possession of a Class C drug.

Cathy Walker, defending, said her client admitted he had a problem with the substances he was caught with and has actively been seeking help since his arrest.

She said it “gave him a wake-up call” and he began attending a drugs misuse clinic.

Magistrate Matthew Irish said: “It is very encouraging that you have grasped responsibility for what has happened and what is going on in your life”

Teape was given a 12-month conditional discharge for all three offences and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

REPEAT offender Sharon Doyle swore at police officers in her drunken state on Brighton beach.

The 37-year-old, of Ryecroft in Whitehawk Road, Brighton, was shouting abuse near the Duke’s Mound area, prompting worried onlookers to warn nearby officers at 10.45pm on the Saturday of Pride weekend.

When police approached her, she slurred: “F*** off you d***, leave me alone.”

Martina Sherlock, prosecuting, told Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday Doyle continued to shout and swear and became enraged by them.

Doyle, who has 16 previous convictions stretching back to 2004, had to be dragged to a police car by the officers, and she tried to dig her heels into the ground to avoid arrest.

Many of her past crimes have been public order offences such as being drunk and disorderly.

Doyle is in receipt of benefits.

She represented herself in court, and told magistrates she “had a lot going on” before the incident.

She said she is trying to stop drinking and her reason for being aggressive with the police was that she “doesn’t like being restrained”.

Doyle added: “I have been trying to sort myself out.”

She pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in a public place and was given a 12-month conditional discharge by Magistrate Matthew Hill, who gave Doyle credit for her guilty plea.

He ordered her to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

ATTACKING a hospital worker was the start of a hostile 24 hours during Luke Smith’s Pride weekend.

The 24-year-old woke up in a bed at the Royal Sussex County Hospital with no recollection of how he had got there on the morning of August 4 and became aggressive towards staff.

He fled and went to A&E where he was met by security guard Alex Khamdamov, who Smith pushed out the way, Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday.

Smith, of Firle Road, Brighton, also hurled abuse while in hospital.

Police were then called to The Level shortly after 9am to reports of Smith smashing bottles.

He was with his mother, and told police he was looking for his bag which he thought he lost at Pride the night before.

But he started breaking more bottles and was arrested. He shouted at police: “I’m going to beat you up.”

Smith managed to get out of his cell and custody officer David Barley tried to help restrain him. Smith then launched a hot meal at Mr Barley.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of threatening and abusive behaviour and two assaults by beating.

Cathy Walker, defending, said Smith suffers from Asperger’s and Klinefelter syndrome, which means he produces less testosterone and needs injections every three months otherwise his behaviour changes. She said he was due an injection. Smith was handed a 12-month community order and 40 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay both victims compensation of £50 each.