A Harrogate man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after magistrates told him they were giving him a chance to avoid getting into more trouble.
Aaron Peter Wilson, 44, of Russell Street, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court to be sentenced on 16 charges on Friday.
The offences were committed on six separate dates between July 2022 and March this year.
They included six counts of assaulting people by beating them and one of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence.
There were also eight counts of criminal damage, all of which were committed on cars in Harrogate and Knaresborough. The value of the damage caused ranged from £11.85 to £510.
Prosecuting, Alison Whitely told magistrates the victims had often encountered Wilson in the street:
“These people are members of the public minding their own business who have been randomly picked on, either by their property being damaged or being assaulted.”
Ms Whiteley highlighted Wilson’s history, which included 26 previous offences.
She said some of the crimes he was being sentenced for on Friday were committed while he was subject to a community order for a separate offence.
Read more:
- Harrogate man jailed for perverting course of justice
- Knaresborough luxury car dealer faces 16 fraud charges
However, in defence, Martin Townend of Watson Woodhouse Solicitors told the court that most of the offences took place between July and September 2022, with just one incident in March 2023.
He said Wilson had been out of trouble since his last conviction in 2018, a period when he was “in a good state of health”.
He said:
“Mr Wilson has been diagnosed with PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]. When he was younger, he did some voluntary work in Bosnia when the conflict was in force.
“He saw things in that country that have affected his mental health. When he has flashbacks, he drinks to make those flashbacks stop.”
Drinking problems
Mr Townend said all Wilson’s offending had occurred when he had been drinking. He often then made loud comments in public, such as accusing people of being drug dealers or paedophiles, causing strangers to object, which led him to lash out.
Since the last offence, Mr Townend said Wilson had found work through one local charity and was volunteering with another. He had also joined an organisation offering support with staying sober.
Mr Townend added:
“In the main, he is sticking to not drinking, because he realises the drink is the catalyst for this behaviour… he has started to look at himself, not really like what he has seen, and he has taken steps himself to do something about it.”
The magistrates were given a lengthy report to consider, including psychiatric assessments, before deciding how to sentence Wilson.
For all 16 offences, he was given a total prison sentence of 26 weeks, suspended for 18 months.
He was also ordered to wear an alcohol tag for 120 days, meaning if he drinks during that time he will be made to return to court if he drinks. He must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity.
Magistrates imposed a victim surcharge of £154, but did not award costs because of Wilson’s limited means. Nor did they award compensation, saying no invoices had been submitted to account for the value of the damage done to the cars.
Wilson was warned that some of the three magistrates had wanted to send him straight to prison. The suspended sentence, he was told, was a “very serious order” and if he got in any trouble during its term, or failed to comply with the other requirements, he would be jailed.
