Unruly Sutton man ignored warnings to stop drinking in town centre

Michael Wagstaff, 55, of Clare Road in the town, was hauled before the courts and hit with a 20-week jail term suspended for six month for his catalogue of unruly behaviour.

He was also given a hard-hitting Criminal Behaviour Order by Mansfield Magistrates’ Court.

Wagstaff had consumed and failed to surrender alcohol to an authorised person on three separate occasions and breached a order banning folk from boozing in Sutton town centre.

And despite being issued with two formal warnings and two Fixed Penalty Notices, Wagstaff ignored Ashfield District Council and Nottinghamshire Police.

He continued to drink alcohol in the town centre, with his boozy antics having an adverse impact on residents, visitors and traders in Sutton.

Wagstaff also refused the opportunity to receive support for his alcohol use – which is what led the council to pursue court action against him.

As a result of the authority’s prosecution, Wagstaff finally received the Criminal Behaviour Order on April 16.

It means he cannot drink alcohol in the town centre or engage in any aggressive behaviour towards officers or members of the public.

Wagstaff was also prosecuted at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court for matters brought forward by the Crown Prosecution Service and which included criminal damage, assault on an emergency worker and a public order offence.

Coun Helen-Ann Smith, who is the deputy leader of the council, said the prosecution brought against Wagstaff should serve as a warning to folk who misbehave in Ashfield’s town centres.

“Our town centres are important for residents so we must do all we can to keep them safe and not let a small minority ruin it for everyone else,” she said.

“In partnership with Nottinghamshire Police colleagues, we will always try to engage with offenders to achieve a positive outcome. This sentence shows however that if that doesn’t work, we are not afraid to take court action against individuals.”

“We encourage residents to call 999 to report live breaches of Wagstaff’s Criminal Behaviour Order and any other crime.”

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