Chelmsford: Man admits begging in city within a day of being banned by court

A Chelmsford man was arrested by a town centre team officer for twice breaching a criminal behaviour order prohibiting him from begging in the city, just a day after it was made.

Sammy Day, 30, of Thomas Close, Springfield, was initially made the subject of a criminal behaviour order by Chelmsford magistrates on Wednesday 23 August.

The court heard he had consistently breached previous community protection notices given to him.

At that hearing, Day admitted failing to comply with a community protection notice on three occasions in early July.

Magistrates gave him a criminal behaviour order for five years which required him to cease begging in Chelmsford city centre, not to be in possession of any open container of alcohol in any outdoor public place in the city centre and not to leave any belongings in the city centre.

The following day, Day was arrested for twice breaching the CBO, once by begging a member of public for money and once by leaving personal belongings in the street.

At Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 26 August, Day admitted both offences and was remanded on conditional bail for sentencing on 5 December 2023.

Magistrates also amended his CBO so he can only leave up to three small items of bedding and one bag of personal belongings in the city centre.

CBOs are designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court.

CBOs also tackle the underlying causes of offending and, where appropriate, require offenders to engage in treatment services, such as drug and alcohol addiction support.

It is an offence to breach the terms of a CBO and courts can impose a maximum sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine, or both, for an adult convicted of breaching them.