The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A 21-year-old man, said to be a paranoid schizophrenic and addicted to amphetamines, assaulted his grandfather when he told him that he could no longer live in a tent in his garden.
Jacob Glenn, presently of no fixed address, admitted assaulting his grandfather Derek Pallet by beating when he appeared at Boston Magistrates Court.
Prosecuting, Jim Clare said Glenn had been arrested by police on suspicion of theft and was released in the early hours of July 20 and had returned to the tent in which he lived in his grandparents’ garden in Alexandra Road in Spalding.
Mr Clare said Mr Pallett told Glenn he could no longer live there because of his behaviour and when at around 1pm Glenn got up and asked what he had done, his grandfather told him he was a “drug addict, a thief and I don’t want you here”.
He said Glenn seemed to be getting ready to leave when he hit his grandfather, causing him to bleed both internally and externally from his nose.
Mr Clare said Mr Pallett tried to restrain Glenn and told him he thought he had broken his nose and Glenn apologised, but the police were called.
Mr Pallett told police his grandson urgently needed help with his drug problems and that the family had come to breaking point and had to use the criminal process to get some help for him.
Mitigating, Michele Elvin said Glenn had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and had contacted Addaction for help with his drug addiction and had also been in touch with mental health professionals.
She said the family was “very supportive” and he was now getting some help and the Probation Service said they would be trying to find him some accommodation.
The magistrates said his offence had been “despicable” and sentenced him to a 12-month community order with 10 rehabilitation days and a six month drug rehabilitation requirement.
He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to his grandfather and £90 in court charges.
