Man jailed for £8k Ramsbottom wrecking rampage (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Man jailed for £8k Ramsbottom wrecking rampage

2:00pm Friday 19th October 2012 in News

A MAN has been jailed for four months after a wrecking rampage in Ramsbottom town centre.

Carl Earnshaw caused £8,000 of damage when he smashed windows at seven businesses and three houses in Bridge Street, Bolton Street and Crow Lane.

Bury Magistrates' Court heard how he had got drunk after an argument with his girlfriend early last Sunday morning.

Among his targets were Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary’s charity shop and the presbytery of Father John Sullivan, of St Joseph’s Church.

Earnshaw, aged 25, of Bolton Street, Ramsbottom, also broke into Moby’s Fish Bar, ripped out the till and stole it.

When police tried to arrest him, he shouted abuse, threw coins at an officer’s head. Officers were unable to calm him down so they used a taser on him.

Police found a small bag of white powder in his pocket.

Earnshaw pleaded guilty to damaging windows at 10 properties, burglary, possessing class A drugs and assaulting a police officer.

But the court was told that Earnshaw did not remember what happened.

Roger Taylor, defending, said: “He doesn’t dispute the things that are alleged. He has no recollection. All he remembers is going out, consuming drink and being tasered. The rest of the evening is a blur. He is very sorry for everything that has happened.”

He asked magistrates to suspend any prison sentence to allow Earnshaw to continue working and give him a “realistic opportunity” of paying for the damage caused.

But Khalid Hussain, chairman of the bench, ruled that an immediate custodial sentence should be given.

He said: “This is an appalling incident in which you caused needless and gratuitous damage to property, causing distress, financial loss and considerable inconvenience to charities, church property and commercial businesses. You then compounded this by behaving in an abusive manner to the police and assaulting a police constable.”