‘Next time it’s prison’

1:02pm Monday 19th May 2008

"I HAVE never, in my entire career, seen such a record of disgraceful behaviour."

These were the damning words of a judge, who imposed a 28-day suspended jail sentence on a nuisance neighbour after she breached an injunction banning her from entering every council residential property in the city - only a week after it was imposed.

Abigail Alexander was served with an Antisocial Behaviour Injunction (ASBI) after she was found staying at 22 council properties since being evicted from her own home for antisocial behaviour.

It was the first injunction of its kind to be given out in the city by housing bosses.

The injunction against the 40-year-old, of no fixed address, forbade her from entering any council-owned residential buildings without written permission from the authority, and also from causing a nuisance to tenants or their neighbours.

Yet on Friday, Alexander was found in the bedroom of a council residential property in Waines Road, Dringhouses, by two police officers. The property was the same in which she was served the injunction on Saturday, May 10.

Alexander was arrested for being in breach of the ASBI and taken to York County Court on Friday afternoon.

Presenting the case for the council, Rachel Barker said: "I believe it was a resident on the road that placed the phone call to police stating they had seen Abigail enter the property.

"Two policemen found her in the bedroom of the property and she was placed under arrest. It was quite clear she was in breach of her injunction."

Alexander, who was not represented, admitted she was guilty of breaching the injunction, but claimed that she was only at the property to pick up some of her clothes so she could go for treatment at hospital.

She said: "I have a burst abscess on my leg and I needed to go to hospital - that is why I was at the property - so I could pick up some clothes."

Barker said that Alexander's boyfriend was also found in the property, and pointed out that he could have picked up any items she needed.

District Judge Peter Wildsmith, who originally imposed the injunction last week, said in his entire career he had never heard of such "disgraceful" behaviour.

"You have records of constant abuse, drug taking and general appalling behaviour over several years," he said.

Speaking directly to Alexander he added: "It was because of this behaviour that you were served with an Antisocial Behaviour Injunction.

"This order is serious - and to be in breach of it leaves me in no doubt that a prison sentence must be imposed.

"As this is the first breach and you have admitted that your have breached the order, I am going to suspend this prison sentence, but I will not suspend it again.

"This is a serious order, so make sure you honour it, because if you break this order again you will end up in prison."

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