A man with more than 200 crimes to his name who racially abused a hostel worker and threatened to slit his throat has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Andrew John Jason Bell, 46, appeared in front of Carlisle magistrates this morning following an incident at approved hostel premises in the city centre on Tuesday, January 2.
Police had received a call from a member of staff, saying Bell was refusing to leave, threatening to cause damage and making unpleasant remarks.
Officers attended and found Bell sat on a wall outside the building holding a can of cider. It emerged he had earlier been in a public waiting area inside while staff were in an office behind glass.
Bell had racially abused a security guard and, said prosecutor George Shelley, threatened to slit his throat. “It is very unpleasant, I have to say,” added the prosecutor.
Describing the impact of Bell’s sickening verbal abuse, the man spoken of feeling unsafe in the aftermath and, at times, wanting to vomit.
Bell, who gave an address in court of Arnison Court, Penrith, made no comment to police when interviewed.
In court he admitted one public order charge which was racially aggravated and a second which related to a female staff member present at the time.
The court heard he had 210 past crimes on his record, 46 of these being for public order-type offences.
A probation officer had concluded that there was an established pattern of offending which included serious threats of violence. There was a concern Bell’s behaviour could escalate.
Magistrates imposed a six-week prison sentence but suspended it for 12 months after hearing that a short immediate jail term was not deemed beneficial by the probation service.
Bell must also pay £50 compensation to hostel workers involved in the incident.
