Aggressive Cambridge beggar jailed for breaching court order
Ben O’Brien sentenced after violating Criminal Behaviour Order
Ben O’Brien, 29 and of no fixed address, has been sentenced to one year in prison after violating a Criminal Behaviour Order that prohibited him from entering Cambridgeshire.
O’Brien was originally banned from the county by Cambridge Crown Court on 21st August following a conviction for aggressive begging and robbery in the Cambridge city centre.
The order was intended to prevent O’Brien from returning to Cambridgeshire and causing harm to the community.
However, just one day after the order was imposed, O’Brien was spotted on Burleigh Street by an off-duty police officer. He returned again the following day on King's Parade, and on 27th August, he was arrested on Downing Street for further breach of the order.
On 1st October, at Peterborough Crown Court, O’Brien pleaded guilty to three breaches of his Criminal Behaviour Order. The court sentenced him to a year behind bars and activated a previously suspended sentence. His order not to enter Cambridgeshire was extended for five years.
PC Laura O’Flynn from the Cambridge city neighbourhood team noted the importance of Criminal Behaviour Orders in protecting communities and preventing persistent offenders from causing harm.
She stated, “O’Brien was made fully aware of the restrictions imposed on him, yet chose to ignore them on three occasions within days of the order being granted. We hope this case demonstrates that robust action will be taken against those who breach court orders.”