A HOMELESS man found begging in Wrexham town centre kicked off with a police community support officer, shouting and swearing at him.

Peter Thomas Woosey, 28, of no fixed abode, received a suspended prison sentence when he appeared at a special Saturday sitting of North East Wales Magistrates’ Court at Mold this morning.

Woosey was told that by magistrates that what they had heard about his behaviour in the street was mirrored by his behaviour in court, which they described as quite horrendous.

But he had made progress in his life and he had kept out of trouble since April – and a eight week prison sentence was suspended for a year.

He was fined £100 for being in breach of a conditional discharge imposed for a previous public order offence, with £85 costs and a £115 surcharge.

Woosey, who admitted a public order offence on September 23,told the court that he had fines “coming out of his ears” and was trying to sort himself out.

Prosecutor Angela Narey told how PCSO Kelvin Evans was on foot patrol in Duke Street walking towards Lord Street when he saw the defendant approaching members of the public, asking for money.

One woman stopped to give him some money but he was asking for more.

The officer, who had warned Woosey before for begging, intervened because he could see that members of the public were becoming uneasy.

But when the officer tried to engage with him and get him to move on, Woosey was said to have become aggressive and was swearing.

He was warned but continued with his behaviour and then went right up to the officer, some six inches from his face, still shouting.

Fearing he was about to be assaulted, the officer pushed him away and told him to move on but the defendant continued to shout at members of the public, saying “did you f****** see that, he just f****** pushed me.”

He eventually walked away but was still shouting and swearing loudly.

The defendant was arrested when sitting on a bench in Edgerton Street the following morning.

Interviewed, he was obstructive, talked over officers, and told them to “f****** get him out of there.”

He then shouted “no comment” over and over again.

Woosey, who had previous convictions for 94 offences, represented himself from custody after a warrant was previously issued for his arrest.

The court was told that he had previously attended court but left before his case was called on.

He said he pleaded guilty because there had been an argument.

But he said when he did walk off with his stuff the officer followed him and he felt harassed.

He had changed, he had not stolen from shops, he had not taken drugs and while he had done a bit of begging to eat, he knew he should not do it and had now stopped doing it, he said.

While he was of no fixed abode he was attending the crisis centre each week and was claiming benefits.

Woosey repeatedly told the court to “get on with it” and either send him to prison of “get me out of here.”

Magistrates said that they appreciated that he had issues but he was making progress and the suspended sentence was giving him a chance.

An application for a criminal behaviour order was adjourned for him to seek legal advice.

North Wales Police are asking for a three year order which would ban him from begging in the county, would prevent him from being drunk or under the influence of drugs in public and would prevent him from indulging in public order acts or encourage anyone else to do so.