A man branded “aggressive and anti-social” while begging for cash in Spalding is back on the streets after appearing in court again this week.
James Philip Waxman (33), of no fixed address, was given a day’s detention by magistrates after being charged with two counts of begging in a public place and two of breaching an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) imposed on January 15.
The ASBO was meant to stop Waxman from begging or trying to beg anywhere in England and Wales until further notice and was imposed after he appeared in court earlier this month on previous charges of begging.
Waxman was arrested by police in Spalding on Friday after he was recognised from a story about the ASBO in our sister paper, the Lincolnshire Free Press, last Tuesday.
At a hearing before Lincoln magistrates on Saturday, Waxman admitted to begging in Holland Market and Market Place on Thursday and Friday respectively, along with two counts of breaching the ASBO.
Waxman was sentenced by Grantham magistrates on Monday but the day’s detention was deemed served due to the time he spent in custody between hearings.
Spalding community policing inspector Jim Tyner said: “Some people may consider begging to be harmless but we were receiving numerous calls about the aggressive and anti-social nature of Waxman’s begging.
“Poverty is not a crime and we, along with local charities, have tried to support Waxman but he would not accept our help.”
Meanwhile, a trader claims that reports of people begging have dropped since a spate of incidents last year which led to a meeting between Insp Tyner and members of The Crescent Traders Association.
Joanne Holmes, of Wrights Flooring and Carpets, The Crescent, said: “I think security has improved because I’ve not heard anything about people begging and there doesn’t seem to be as many people hanging about now.”