Angry man smashed counter (From Warrington Guardian)

Angry man smashed counter

A NORTHWICH man who shattered a glass counter in a town centre takeaway was sentenced at Northwich Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Andrew Bramley, 24, of Maple Grove, was given a 100-hour community punishment order, a community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay more than £600 compensation and costs after being found guilty at a previous trial of threatening behaviour, criminal damage and assaulting a police officer.

Carolyn Viviani, prosecuting, said the incident started at the Spice Hut, Witton Street, at 11.50pm on January 14 when Bramley went into the takeaway and began shouting abuse and swearing.

Ms Viviani said: "The defendant ran at the glass display counter, causing four panes of glass to shatter or crack."

She added: "In the police vehicle he became extremely aggressive and violent - kicking out at the cage in the rear of the vehicle."

His aggression continued in custody where he kicked the cell door, threw his trainers at the CCTV camera in the cell and kicked a police sergeant who was trying to restrain him.

Chris Johnson, defending, said Bramley had anger management problems and was seeing a psychiatrist.

He said: "He saw himself as a bit of a white knight going in to assist a friend or extract an apology on behalf of a friend - it was an ill thought out and badly executed effort to solve a problem which ought to have been left alone."

Mr Johnson said after he was arrested he tried to tell officers that he needed medication to prevent mood swings and temper tantrums and he threw his trainers at the camera to attract attention.

Mr Johnson said to magistrates: "He is not lost to the world of decent and reasonable members of society and I would ask that you help him rather than simply punish him."