A Brighton man is the first person in Sussex to be served with a new anti social behaviour order.
Gary Divall, 53, from Oriental Place, Brighton has been given a Criminal Behaviour Order, one of the new orders which came into place in October 2014 to replace the old ASBOs.
Divall, a persistent offender having been arrested more than 30 times in 2014, has been convicted for criminal damage, drunk and disorderly, using foul and abusive language and racially motivated language in a public place, and for assaulting police officers.
In September he was charged with verbally abusing a taxi driver in Norton Road, Hove and in November he was jailed for 16 weeks for assaulting a traffic warden on Eaton Road, Hove.
His use of homophobic language in a public place and assaulting a paramedic was also used as evidence to apply for the order to be placed on him.
The two year order stops him from using foul or abusive language of a racist or homophobic nature and being drunk anywhere in Brighton and Hove.
He must live and sleep where directed to do so by the rough sleepers team and must attend and complete 10 sessions with an alcohol nurse.
Sussex Police worked with Brighton and Hove City Council, the CPS, the CRI Street Service Team, the Community Mental Health Team, Probation and the Community Alcohol Team in order to get this order passes on Divall.
Sergeant Dave Palmer said: “This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in the city. We work closely with our partners to ensure support is available when necessary but we will not shy away from using enforcement when necessary.
“With this new legislation we are able to direct people like Divall to undertake positive steps to deal with their problems rather than give them a list of things they can’t do.
“This gives us the opportunity to direct them to the best support available and their failure to do would then be an offence.”
He was jailed in November For assaulting me not a Traffic warden as stated.This man is a menace to the Ambulance , police and A+E Department !
Sorry to hear that. Reckon its more than one assault though. I was employed as a support worker- lone working with this man. My employer witheld his file and there were no risk assessments in place. I walked out when this man threatened me. My employer said I should ‘toughen up.’ Thank goodness for my gut instinct.
Should be inside to force him to get help.
And how they enforce this “The two year order stops him from using foul or abusive language of a racist or homophobic nature and being drunk anywhere in Brighton and Hove.” is a mystery.
Marvellous! A brilliant example of Thatcher’s “Care in the Community” in action. Let’s let dangerous mad people live on the streets in sleeping bags, permanently drunk and off their faces! And then send them to jail occasionally! So much more civilised that those old-fashioned mental hospitals we used to have with their oppressive clean sheets and psychiatric nurses.