Convicted criminal who repeatedly breached community order because '˜he could not get a bus to Northampton' jailed

A man who failed to complete an community order given to him after he admitted assaulting four men and a police officer in a Northamptonshire town centre has been jailed.
Northampton Crown CourtNorthampton Crown Court
Northampton Crown Court

Richard Murray, aged 33, was ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to affray and obstructing a police officer in Brackley in January this year.

The court heard Murray was in the town centre on the evening of September 6 last year when he barged into a group of men near a kebab van.

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Murray punched one of the men in the face, pushed another in the chest and took a kebab from a further member of the group.

A lone female police officer arrived at the scene and she attempted to remove Murray from the group. However, after being arrested and handcuffed he attempted to break free, causing him and the police officer to fall to the ground.

The police officer suffered a badly sprained wrist.

After breaching the terms of his community order in May, Murray appeared at Northampton Crown Court on July 28 and was given “one final chance” to complete his unpaid work.

However, the court heard on Monday that Murray had not been in contact with the probation service after the hearing. In total, he had missed 34 out of 81 appointments, of which 17 were “unacceptable” absences.

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The court heard Murray accepted he could not complete the probation order because he claimed he could not get a bus to Northampton on Sundays to complete his unpaid work.

Recorder Graham Huston sentenced Murray, formerly of Hayman Road, Brackley, to three months in custody for the affray and one month, consecutively, for obstructing the police officer.