Homeless man deliberately got himself arrested as did not want to die on the street, court hears

Dale Thompson, 31, was arrested for breaching a restraining order when he visited an address in Oakengates.

The arrest came just over a day after he was charged by a court with the same offence.

Mrs Katie Price, prosecuting at Telford Magistrates' Court, said it was the 10th time that Thompson, of no fixed address, had breached the restraining order since it was made on January 29.

The restraining order was given alongside a community punishment, as part of a sentence for harassment. It prevented him from attending the home of his mother's partner.

Magistrates sentenced Thompson to 20 weeks in prison for the offence, who admitted the breach at court on Friday.

Mrs Price said the defendant was caught in a cycle of breaching the restraining order and being arrested and imprisoned.

"He leaves prison, he goes back to theft, he gets drunk, then he goes and knocks on the address," she said.

The court was told that Thompson had returned to prison so many times for the same offence, that officers had stopped asking him why he was back.

She added that when Thompson was arrested he told police: "I know I have breached an order. I have only done it because I want somewhere warm to stay."

The court was told that a statement by the victim, which is normally taken in these circumstances, was not available for magistrates on this occasion.

Stephen Meredith, for Thompson, said his client was homeless and had sought help with accommodation from the local authorities.

Mr Meredith said however that Thompson's "significant alcohol problem" meant that hostels would not take him.

"He roamed around the streets in the freezing cold and only wanted a roof over his head," said Mr Meredith.

"He has done everything reasonable to try to get a roof over his head. He doesn't want to die in the cold," he added.

"He knew that to get a roof over his head all he had to do was go to this address and wait for the police to be called. It's a very sad situation he finds himself in," said Mr Meredith.

"What he's told police is 'if someone could help me with the housing I would not get arrested'," added Mr Meredith.