Wrexham,North Wales - Beggar from Wrexham with ‘truly dreadful’ record jailed for breaching order

Published date: 07 December 2015 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A SERIAL beggar has been jailed for breaching a court order yet again.

Mark Spencer Prandle, 49, was jailed for 14 weeks at Wrexham Magistrates Court after breaching an order preventing him from begging for the fourth time.

Justin Espie, prosecuting, said he was given a Criminal Behaviour Order in September, preventing him from asking unknown persons for money.

But on December 3 Prandle, of no fixed address, was asked to leave the vicinity of McColl’s on Holt Road after he asked people for money. However, he continued asking people in cars and on foot for money.

PSCOs moved Prandle on, but he returned about 15 minutes later and he was arrested.

Prandle pleaded guilty to begging while subject to a criminal behaviour order imposed by magistrates in Wrexham on September 2.

Emma Simoes, defending, said Prandle had served his country with the Welsh Fusiliers for some years.

But when he left the forces he was “quite damaged” and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

As the years wore on, Miss Simoes added, Prandle developed paranoid schizophrenia and became addicted to heroin.

Prandle was not in good health, and recently had a toe amputated.

Miss Simoes told the court that while Prandle’s record of compliance was not the best, some agencies were no longer willing to work with him.

He had endured a “troubled few years”, being of no fixed address and in and out of custody.

Miss Simoes added  Prandle was courteous and not aggressive in any way when asking for money.

It was the store manager who had called police, which was understandable, but there were no complaints from members of the public.

He had not caused any harassment, alarm and distress.

Miss Simoes told magistrates their sentencing options were limited.

Begging would not normally attract custody, she said, but a Criminal Behaviour Order was attached and Prandle had been jailed on the last two occasions.

However, Miss Simoes said magistrates could give Prandle the benefit of the doubt and impose a fine, which would be deemed served due to time served.

Magistrates’ chairman Lady Sally Kenyon told Prandle he had a “truly dreadful” record of compliance with orders, with this being the fourth breach of the Criminal Behaviour Order and his fifth offence of begging this year.

She added: “We are of the view that your offences are so persistent and so serious that only a term of custody is appropriate.”

Costs were ordered, and a £150 criminal court charge was deemed served due to time spent in custody.