A man has admitted causing more than £5,000 worth of damage to the front office of Brighton’s John Street Police Station after pulling down roof tiles and cabling.
During the violent outburst, the male also assaulted a police officer who was working in the police station at the time.
.
Aaron Barrett, 29, of North Road, Brighton, appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Monday (12 October) after being arrested following the incident on Sunday afternoon (11 October).
Barrett refused to leave the front office of the police station after becoming aggressive with police staff. He then climbed onto the atrium roof and threw tiles and plasterboard at police officers who were trying to persuade him to come down.
The front office of the police station was closed to the public while the incident was ongoing. After approximately three hours, Barrett subsequently surrendered to police and was arrested.
Barrett pleaded guilty to three charges of causing criminal damage, assaulting a police officer and causing a nuisance to the public by forcing the closure of the police station front office through violent behaviour.
He was released by the court on conditional bail to appear at Lewes Crown Court for sentencing on 9 November.
It is not yet known if Sussex Police will try and recuperate the cost of the repairs from Barrett. In recent cases where police vehicles have been damaged, police forces have sought to recover the cost of repair from the individual(s) responsible for the damage.
To stay up-to-date with more news relating to the frontline work of the emergency services, then remember to follow us on Twitter. Our handle is @ES_News_ and remember to also subscribe to our free newsletter so that you never miss out on our top stories and videos – Subscribe HERE.
