A BRAIN injury victim from Carlisle whose 'lifeline" mobile phone was stolen reacted furiously because he felt that the police were not doing enough to help him. 

Matthew Neale, 47, first wrenched a wooden car park barrier from its housing outside Carlisle Railway Station and he then dropped it on to a British Transport Police car, smashing its rear window.

In a later offence, Neale was so desperate to charge his phone that he kicked open a locked door at Workington’s bus station, and simply walked into the room and plugged in his mobile.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, the defendant, of Lazonby Terrace, Carlisle, admitted those crimes - part of a spate of offending, which his lawyer said all related to his poor mental health and homelessness.

Those admitted offences were:

  • Using threatening behaviour outside the Graham Arms, Longtown, on Sunday, May 5, when he shouted abuse at customers.
  • Causing criminal damage at Carlisle’s Durranhill Police HQ on May 6, by smearing faeces on the cell door.
  • Damaging a window worth £250 on April 25 at the Woodrow Wilson pub in Botchergate by smashing a window, which the defendant claimed he did because staff at the pub banned him for “singing.”
  • Causing criminal damage, again at Carlisle’s Police HQ, again damaging a police custody unit cell.
  • Threatening to damage property at Cumbria House, Botchergate, on May 21, when Neale said he would use a broom handle to smash the windows if funds he was due was not released immediately.

 

Neale committed the Railway Station offences – two counts of criminal damage – on May 21. The final offence, involving the criminal damage Neale caused to the bus station office door, was committed on May 29.

The defendant was caught when he returned to the scene to collect the phone he had left plugged in and charging. He cost of the damage he caused was put at £2,000.

Kate Hunter, defending, said the defendant had described his mental health in recent months as “horrendous,” a situation he attributed to his brain injury and to being homeless.

“As a consequence of that,” said the lawyer, “his mental health suffered and he had a chaotic lifestyle. The only way people can engage with him is through his mobile phone.”

When his phone was taken on May 21, Neale believed the police had done nothing to help him and failed to be proactive.

They did take an initial record of the alleged theft but the failure of the police to help him left him frustrated and that was why acted as he did, said Miss Hunter.

It was an offence triggered by his frustration.

“He wants to be a successful, happy, and healthy human,” said the lawyer. “But he can’t do that because he has not had support. He wants support from the Probation Service.”

Yet while in prison on remand, Neale had not had his medication for an eight day period. From his prison video booth, Neale told the court: “I’m at my wits end; I’ve had no support whatsoever.”

District Judge John Temperley said that custody was inevitable for the “spate of offending” that was before the court. Those offences were aggravated by the defendant’s criminal record.

That record included many similar past offences.

The District Judge told Neale: “You have mental health issues and the fact that there was a brain injury has, I am sure, contributed to your behaviour.

"But you know right from wrong.”

He jailed Neale for 12 weeks. The defendant must pay £100 compensation for the damage he caused the Stagecoach office door. As he left the prison video booth, Neale told the judge: “Thank you for being so reasonable.”