Cheeky defendant who backchatted magistrate is jailed

Steven Peter Crawford, 31, of Mary Street, Kirkby, admitted damaging the Vauxhall Vectra in Mansfield and behaving in an indecent manner in Mansfield Police Station by using abusive language and aggressive behaviour towards officers and support staff.

By committing the offences he triggered an existing 12-week suspended sentence for theft of headphones from Tesco and damaging a wall at the Multiplex Cinema on Mansfield Leisure Park earlier in the summer.

He was carrying a bag of clothes with him in court and expected to go to jail.

However, another eight weeks were added to his sentence and he was told he must pay the £150 compensation, followed by his outburst.

But in a quick reaction, one magistrate said to him: “You said you couldn’t remember doing it (the damage), so how would you know?”

He was then led away in handcuffs to custody where he is expected to serve half of the sentence.