Man forbidden to beg, loiter, enter shops or possess alcohol in Banbury town centre - Court Report

Magistrates in Oxford imposed a wide-ranging community order on the man that also included treatment for alcohol dependency and not hanging around cash point machines.

John George Miller, 48, of O’Hanlon House, Oxford - who also goes under the name of John Green - changed his plea to guilty over charges of racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress, using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour towards a man in Banbury on November 28, December 9, 2019 and January 2, 2020.

Miller also pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour towards a second man in Banbury on November 28 and December 30, 2019. Green was subjected to a community order to undergo treatment for alcohol dependency and ordered to pay two sums of £150 in compensation.

A two year criminal behaviour order was imposed requiring him not to behave in a manner likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to anyone within Banbury Town Centre, not to beg or to give the impression of begging in any public place in Oxfordshire, not to enter any store in Banbury that is a member of the Cherwell Crime Partnership, not to sit or loiter around any cash point machine or to be in possession of alcohol in any public place in Oxfordshire.

The following cases were also heard at Oxford Magistrates’ Court:

Leigh Hannah Halligan, 30, of Marlowe Close, Banbury pleaded guilty to stealing assorted dog harnesses and muzzles from Pets at Home, Bicester on June 29, 2020. Halligan was fined £120 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and court costs of £85.

Gabor Novak, 20, of Gatteridge Street, Banbury was fined £105 for driving a vehicle in Ermont Way, Banbury on August 2, 2020, without a licence. He was fined a further £316 for driving without insurance on the same occasion. Novak was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and court costs of £90.

Douglas James McClure, 37, of Withycombe Drive, Banbury was fined £660 for driving a vehicle in Neithrop Avenue on October 1, 2020 without insurance. He was ordered to pay a £88 victim surcharge and court costs of £90. His driving record was endorsed with six penalty points. McClure was fined a further £220 for driving without a licence on the same occasion.

Florin Stanescu, 40, of Prescott Avenue, Banbury was convicted of driving a vehicle in Middleton Road, Banbury on November 11, 2019 without insurance. Stanescu was disqualified from driving for six months for repeat offending. He was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £66 and court costs of £90.

Jamie Michael Pratt, 23, of Laurel Close, Banbury pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle in Banbury Road, Summertown on May 23, 2020 with excess cannabis in his blood. He was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 12 months and fined £276. Pratt was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and court costs of £85.

Daniel Fafoli, 28, of Ford Drive, Brackley was fined £660 for between January 22 and February 19, 2020, failing to give information relating to the driver of a Volkswagon car who was alleged to have been guilty of an offence. Fafoli was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £66 and court costs of £90.He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for six months.

Wayne Paul Brain, 46, of Old London Road, Chipping Norton was sent to prison for 20 weeks for driving while disqualified in a Renault car in Green Lane, Milton-under-Wychwood on June 26, 2020.

Magistrates imposed the sentence because Brain has ‘a flagrant disregard for court orders’ and because the offence was aggravated by Brain’s previous offending. He had changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.

Brain was also convicted of driving on the same occasion without insurance, failing to stop when required by a police officer and drink driving. He had 59 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. There was no separate penalty for these three offences. Brain was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128 and court costs of £250. He was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 21 months.