Gerald Burton, 64, jailed for breaching Criminal Behaviour Order

A 64-year-old man from Worthing has been jailed after breaching his Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Gerald Burton, of no fixed address, was given the order in May after persistent offending including antisocial behaviour and being drunk in public.

It prohibited him from the following for a period of 24 months:

• Consuming alcohol in a public place other than licensed premises
• Being drunk or in a state of drunkenness in any public place in Sussex
• Behaving in anyway causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person
• Laying on a public foot path or highway in Sussex (that is sitting or laying on a pavement or road not on a seat or bench)
• Having an open container of alcohol in your possession, in a public place in Sussex, other than in a licenced premises
• Calling emergency services or NHS Direct, for medical advice or aid or encouraging by your actions or words, anyone else to do so on your behalf, including staff at NHS Direct, save when in genuine need of emergency services requiring immediate assessment, action or treatment.

Burton was warned that failure to comply with these requirements could result in imprisonment.

But on 5 January, paramedics responded to a report of him having fallen over while intoxicated in Montague Street, Worthing. Burton was abusive to those trying to help him, and was subsequently arrested for being in breach of his CBO.

He was remanded in custody and the following day, he was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment.

PCSO Ann-Marie Rushworth, of the Adur and Worthing Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Police apply to magistrates for Criminal Behaviour Orders only in exceptional circumstances, where individuals present a danger or a nuisance to the public.

“These CBOs are designed not only to protect the local community from harm, but also the individuals themselves.

“Unfortunately, Burton failed to comply with the conditions with his order and will now spend several months behind bars.”