Hucknall prisoner threw full chamber pot over guards for drug forfeit

A Hucknall man who threw a full chamber pot over two prison officers was carrying out a forfeit for a drug debt he couldn't pay, a court heard.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.Mansfield Magistrates Court.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.

Paul Pearson threw the pot containing urine and faeces at the HMP Ranby officers without warning, on the afternoon of December 2, last year.

He had been given a cigarette which contained “mamba”, a powerful synthetic drug, which cost him £5, but a week’s interest increased the debt to £35, said Ruth Snodin, prosecuting.

“He told police that if he didn’t carry out their wishes he would be assaulted.”

He was serving a prison sentence for four counts of handling stolen goods, the court heard.

Pearson, 26, of Story Gardens, admitted two counts of common assault when he appeared before magistrates in Mansfield on Thursday.

Mary Dixon, mitigating, said he had no history of violence, and his offending was linked to theft driven by a “long-term heroin addiction”.

At the police station, he was remorseful and accepted what he had done was “horrible.”

Mrs Dixon said: “Legal highs like mamba are freely available in prison. A recent defendant at Nottingham Crown Court was unable to attend his trial because he was so intoxicated by prison hooch.”

She said Pearson was unaware the cigarette contained mamba, and his debtors knew he would be unable to pay them back so imposed a fortfeit.

Since he started the prison sentence he had stopped taking heroin, was working as a volunteer in a charity shop and had been engaging well with probation.

Pearson was given a 12 week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay compensation of £150, with £85 court costs.

Related topics: