Man jailed after being found with marker pens

A man who breached a court order by carrying some marker pens in his pocket has been jailed for 18 weeks.

Lloyd Griffiths, 22, was searched by officers on Monday afternoon after he had been reported for making inappropriate comments to women at McDonalds, in Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough.

They found a small amount of cannabis, along with two Sharpie marker pens, one tucked in his waistband. This breached a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) imposed on him in 2019 after he was convicted of criminal damage in a public place involving graffiti.

The five-year order banned him from carry marker pens, wet paints, or any other material to cause criminal damage within a public place.

Griffiths claimed he had been given the Sharpies by a friend earlier in the day and had no intention of using them to deface a public place.

However, on Tuesday (11 October), Griffiths, of Newtown Road, Uppingham, Oakham, was jailed at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, after pleading guilty to breaching a CBO and possession of a class B drug in public.

PC Luke Cooke said: “Griffiths was handed this CBO after causing prolific criminal damage in public places across the city centre, which resulted in disruption to local businesses in the area, and upset many members of the local community.

“I hope this result shows how seriously the courts take a breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order.”