Man fined after ‘foul and abusive language’ in town centre

A man has been fined after shouting “foul and abusive” language in a town centre.

Reece Hastings, 26, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, originally charged with being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

His offence was alleged to have been committed at Portland Street, Lynn on February 24. However, upon arriving at court, this charge was altered to one through the Licensing Act of being found drunk in a public place.

Hastings, of Granville Terrace in Sutton Bridge, pleaded guilty to that, with crown prosecutor Jessica Pratt-Vivian reading a statement from a police constable who attended the incident earlier this year.

In it, the officer said they had been in Lynn town centre when told by a member of the public about goings-on at Portland Street.

Hastings was stood with a woman and was in an “animated state”, according to the statement, holding a beer and shouting at someone stood at the end of the road.

The officer asked Hastings to put down the bottle, which he did, but he continued to shout and was said to have been trying to “antagonise” the situation with “foul and abusive language”.

The constable could smell alcohol on Hastings’ breath, and subsequently arrested him and took him into custody, locating a bank card which confirmed his identity.

Appearing unrepresented, Hastings told magistrates that he had been walking back to Lynn’s railway station to travel home when “two guys came up to me and said ‘come round here'”.

“Two suspects came up to me, and I started running,” he said.

“Maybe I was a bit drunk. I had been in the pub.”

Magistrates opted to fine Hastings £40 for being drunk in a public place, and he was also ordered to pay a £16 victim surcharge.

He was not handed any legal fees due to his financial means.