Fine or jail for man if he re-offends (From Barry And District News)

Fine or jail for man if he re-offends

A PROLIFIC troublemaker from Barry has been issued with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo).

Barry Magistrates' Court issued 25-year-old Michael Francis Sparks with the order on Wednesday, February 8.

If Sparks breaches the conditions of the order, he will be committing a criminal offence, which could bring the maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a 5,000 fine, or both.

The conditions of his Asbo mean for the next two years, Sparks is prohibited from:

l Consuming alcohol in a public place, excluding licensed premises in the Vale of Glamorgan,

l Being drunk in a public place so as to cause any person alarm, harassment or distress in the Vale of Glamorgan,

l Doing or saying anything that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person, or encourage or assist others to do so in the Vale of Glamorgan.

PC John Jones, Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator for the police in the Vale, said: "We're really pleased that our application for a criminal Asbo on conviction, to Barry Magistrates' Courts, was successful.

"We made the application against Sparks because he had been arrested for criminal damage, which is classed as anti-social, and due to his previous convictions for similar offences, we felt it necessary to protect the wider community from his behaviour."

Chief Inspector Nigel Lewis from the police in the Vale of Glamorgan, said: "Due to the Police Reform Act 2002, the Vale of Glamorgan Com-munity Safety Partnership now has the powers to attempt to nip this type of behaviour in the bud before it escalates.

"If this person breaches the conditions, then he will pay the price, as this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in the Vale."