Thug who needed toilet caused about £2,000 worth of damage to Sheffield pub door following trouble with group at funeral

Clint Anderson, aged 29, of no fixed abode, forced the double glass doors open at the Sword Dancer pub, on Richmond Park Road, Handsworth, Sheffield, after he had been at a funeral, according to a Sheffield Magistrates’ Court hearing on August 17.

Mark Hughes, prosecuting, said there was trouble with a large number of people attending a funeral so a decision was made to close the public house.

Mr Hughes added a group including the defendant approached the doors before Anderson started rocking them back and forth until the locking mechanism gave way and he made his way into the pub to use the toilet.

District Judge Naomi Redhouse told Anderson: “All you needed was to go to the toilet. You had to break this door down. The pubs are struggling having been forced to close and they cannot run in the normal way of doing things and you got yourself in such a state all you could think about was breaking that door down.”

The incident was caught on CCTV and the damage to the doors was estimated at £2,000, according to Mr Hughes.

Anderson, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing the damage on August 15.

Rashid Majid, defending, said Anderson who is a member of the local travelling community is really sorry and he did not intend to cause damage.

Anderson was sentenced to a six-month community order with a rehabilitation requirement and he must pay £1,000 compensation.