Nuisance Andrew Bell jailed over drunken threats in city centre pub

Andrew Bell, whose criminal record includes scores of public order and threatening behaviour offences, stood only centimetres away from an alarmed bar worker and told him: “I could have you right now.”

At the city’s Rickergate court, Bell, 46, formerly of John Street, Carlisle, admitted three offences: a common assault, attempting to steal a mobile phone, and using threatening behaviour.

After his release from his most recent jail sentence, the defendant strolled into the Griffin pub in Botchergate at 7.20pm on February 22 in “a drunken state,” said prosecutor Lee Dacre.

“He was informed by a member of staff that he would not be served because he’d been banned some time ago.

"He was already heavily under the influence of alcohol and he began to become abusive.”

Bell aimed that verbal abuse at a woman bar worker as well as a second bar worker, swearing and telling them: “You both think you’re hard.”

When one of the workers began making a call to ask for help, Bell leaned over the bar and tried to take the phone, and then began walking towards the entrance to the bar, saying: “I’ll come round and get you.”

It was as male colleague intervened to stop him that Bell made the threat about “having him” there and then.

As police were escorting him away from the pub, Bell turned towards the male bar worker involved and said: “I’ll catch you again; I’ll have you. I could have cut your throat, but I decided not to.”

This caused the man distress, said Mr Dacre.

'He wants to apologise'

Kate Hunter, for Bell - once dubbed Carlisle's Number One Nuisance - said that after leaving jail he began drinking to unwind. Whenever released, he faced the issues of finding accommodation and this was a concern for him.

The lawyer said: “He describes the decision to go to the pub as stupid; he’d had a drink for the first time in a while and his behaviour was unacceptable. He knows that.”

Poor mental health played a part and medical investigations were underway to establish whether Bell has Tourette’s syndrome.

Custody did not seem to help him, or break his cycle of offending and serving jail sentences, she said.

Prison had encouraged him to self-harm, and while there he was bullied.

He also wanted to apologise to the two victims, added Miss Hunter.

'It’s up to yourself. That’s all I want to say'

From the dock, Bell told District Judge John Temperley: “I’ve been doing this for a long time, going in and out of prison. To be frank, you don’t get help in jail with mental health and housing issues.

“You don’t get support in prison for that.

“I want to ask you to look for some kind of alternative. I think it’s worth looking at something other than jail. It’s up to yourself. That’s all I want to say.”

The District Judge told Bell: “I hear what you say, but I’m afraid those who commit offences like this so soon after being released from prison, and with a record like yours, on this occasion, I'm not prepared to consider a community penalty.”

The offending was so serious that only immediate jail was appropriate. He jailed Bell for 18 weeks. The judge also told Bell he must pay a £154 victim surcharge and that he will be subject to 12-month exclusion order from the Griffin pub.

As he was led away from the dock Bell said: “It’s all right. I’ll be appealing anyway.”

'I want to kill and eat people'

In previous court appearances last year, prosecutors said that he almost 200 offences on his criminal record.

In one recent episode of bad behaviour at Carlisle's Lonsdale Street bus station, he was heard to say: "I want to kill and eat people." In that case, as he left the prison video booth, Bell told the court: “I’ll have to get off – I’ve got a pizza waiting.”