Hull: Bogus beggar who breached order

A 43-year-old man who breached a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) for antisocial begging and public drinking has been sent to prison for nearly six months. 

Matthew MacNamara from Westcott Street in Hull has been given a CBO which prevented him from acting in an antisocial manner that may cause harassment, alarm or distress, and not to approach people for money or drink in public in the Humberside force area. 

He was arrested on Tuesday 14 May after he was seen breaching those conditions on Holderness Road in Hull and subsequently received a 24 week jail sentence. 

Community beat manager for the Drypool ward PC Darren Kirkwood said: “This man was not homeless. He’d been living in a flat and coming out onto the streets, covering himself in a blanket or sleeping bag and pretending he was homeless to get money. 

“Not only was he preying on the sympathies of the public, but he was being aggressive and threatening while he was ‘begging’. He was often drunk at the same time.

“Matthew MacNamara had been a thorn in the side of people in the Holderness Road area and we had a lot of reports and complaints about him. We acted on that information and he was warned and given a chance to change his ways with a CBO.

“He ignored it and has ended up in prison. 

“This is a good example of our work against antisocial behaviour (ASB) in Hull. As we have said it is not just a matter for the police to tackle alone. 

“This kind of ASB and begging calls for a multi-agency approach that centres on working with partners such as Hull City Council and other supporting agencies.

“We carry out high visibility patrols along the Holderness Road corridor and also focus on our priorities in the Drypool ward. 

“I would always advise people to avoid giving money directly to individuals, when there are local charities and organisations best placed to provide relevant support. 

“We are however committed to helping anyone who find themselves falling on hard times. Officers work tirelessly with vulnerable members of the community to get them the help they need.

“We will continue to seek the most appropriate course of action such as CBOs for those to who refuse to engage with us and continue to act in an antisocial manner – like Matthew MacNamara.”

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