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13
May
‘You are like a guinea pig on a wheel that never stops’, Harrogate magistrate tells repeat offender
A man was sentenced for nine offences at Harrogate Magistrates Court last Friday (May 9).
Adam Stephenson, who told the court he is currently of no fixed address, previously pleaded guilty to all of the charges, which included: one count of racially or religiously aggravated harassment; one count of threatening to damage property; one count of criminal damage to property under £5,000; one count of possessing cannabis and five counts of theft from a shop.
The case was adjourned until last Friday for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. The report was not read out in court.
Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting, told the court the racially aggravated harassment offence happened at Harrogate Police Station on November 2, 2024.
Stephenson had been detained and was in the holding area of the police station at the time.
An officer was asking him questions about himself, when the 42-year-old defendant told a named police officer to “f*** o**” and called them a racial slur.
The court heard he was immediately arrested for the offence, but he continued to shout and swear at the officer.
“He said he did not care about being racist”, Ms Ibbotson told the court.
The officer heard what Stephenson had called her and stressed “no one has the right to racially abuse her”.
Criminal damage and drug possession
On February 23 this year, Stephen committed the criminal damage and drug possession offences.
Ms Ibbotson said the defendant was in a phone box in Knaresborough at the time and called the police to “snitch on himself”.
She told the court:
The defendant said he had put a brick through the window of a police car.
When officers arrived, they saw the damage to the vehicle's window.
Stephenson was arrested and a small amount of cannabis was found on him.
Thefts
Stephenson stole from shops on five separate occasions over just a two-day period earlier this year.
On March 2, he stole a crate of Stella Artois from the Co-op on Starbeck High Street. This was valued at £20.
He returned to the store and stole another crate of Stella Artois to the same value later that day.
The following day, Stephenson again stole a crate of Stella Artois – this time from Sainsbury’s Local on Knaresborough High Street – to the value of £9.
He returned to the Co-op on March 4, when he stole a £25 crate of Foster’s.
Stephenson then stole a crate of Corona, a drink and a sandwich from Sainsbury’s Local in Knaresborough on the same day. This was worth £20.
None of the stolen goods were recovered.
Threat to damage property
Ms Ibbotson said Stephenson called the police at 6.40pm on April 29 this year.
The operator could tell he was drunk whilst on the phone, the court heard.
Stephenson told the operator he was at Stonefall Cemetery and was going to “smash [named woman’s] windows in”.
When the operator told Stephenson not to smash any windows, he told them he "did not care".
The court heard:
The defendant told the operator: ‘tell the police to come and get me’.
‘If he carries on drinking this way, he is going to kill himself’
Andrew Tinning, defending, told the court anxiety is a major problem for Stephenson, which he “treats with alcohol”.
He said alcohol is the common denominator in Stephenson’s offending, adding:
If he carries on drinking this way, as he has for many years, he is going to kill himself.
The court heard Stephenson was under the influence of alcohol when he made the “unpleasant comment” to the police officer.
Mr Tinning also said Stephenson had gone to Knaresborough Police Station before damaging the police car.
He rang the doorbell at the police station, but no one answered, which angered Stephenson. Mr Tinning added:
He threw a brick at the window of the police car and then told the police.
Addressing the thefts, Mr Tinning said Stephenson predominantly steals alcohol to “feed his addiction”.
However, he conceded shops should not be stolen from “just because he has an addiction”.
The court also heard Stephenson was drunk when he called the police from Stonefall Cemetery, when he made threats to smash a woman’s windows in.
Mr Tinning said the defendant was upset at the time "about the death of a premature baby from many years ago”.
He told the magistrates:
They are unpleasant offences and a waste of police time… but they are not the worst you will have seen in this court. He has indicated to me that he does not want to go to prison.
Stephenson was also given a brief opportunity to speak. He said:
I do not want to be in custody. My record is not the best but I’m willing to engage with anything.
Sentence
The chair of the magistrates’ bench told Stephenson:
You are like a guinea pig on a wheel that never stops.
The bench sentenced Stephenson to a total of six months in custody, suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to complete a 12-month alcohol treatment requirement and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
The drugs seized will be destroyed and a two-year restraining order was imposed against Stephenson.
He must not contact, directly or indirectly, the woman whose windows he threatened to smash.
“We are giving you the responsibility to sort your life out – it’s down to you. Stay off the drink”, the chair added.
Stephenson must also pay a £154 surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.
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