A DRUNK man threw tiles off a Worcester city centre roof, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage before his dad arrived and talked him down.

Jack Payne appeared over videolink from prison at Worcester Crown Court on Friday after admitting criminal damage and affray.

The 24-year-old of Britannia Road, Worcester, was also made subject to a new criminal behaviour order after he threw the tiles off a roof onto the street below in All Saints Road in the city centre in the early hours of August 5.

Video footage of the incident, which lasted two and a half hours, was played to the court in which an officer tried to reason with the defendant. He could be heard telling Payne: “Jack, I’m concerned about you agitated on top of a building. I’m trying to help you.”

The officer also warns people walking by on the street below, telling them to ‘stand back’ and ‘watch out’ because of the falling tiles.

The only response from the defendant to the officer was a tirade of swear words, prosecutor Paul Fairley describing the swearing as ‘profuse’.

He added: “The defendant was ripping tiles off the roof and throwing them onto the street below.”

Though no value was provided for the damage the prosecutor said: “It’s certainly thousands of pounds.”

Before these matters Payne had 20 previous convictions for 38 offences including what the prosecutor called ‘a litany of examples of antisocial behaviour’ which resulted in a criminal behaviour order being issued. He has offences of his record for being drunk and disorderly, threatening behaviour and criminal damage. We have previously reported how he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly after being 'a nuisance to women' in Velvet nightclub in Worcester. He also kicked out at a police car wing mirror and racially abused a city taxi driver.

Because the previous criminal behaviour order had expired the judge made a new three year order which prohibits the defendant from being aggressive, intimidating, threatening and verbally abusive towards any person. He is also banned from drinking alcohol in a public place with the exception of licensed premises.

Barry Newton, defending, said his client’s upbringing had been ‘very dysfunctional to say the least’ and that he ‘grew up in a drinking culture’.

“He was drinking from a very early age. He has found it very difficult to live life lawfully and not keep getting into trouble fuelled by misuse of alcohol,” the Worcester solicitor told the court.

Mr Newtown said it was the defendant’s own father who persuaded him to come down and he said Payne also had ‘a very supportive sister’.

He referred to the incident as a ‘wake up call for him’. Payne is a serving prisoner after being jailed for eight weeks by a deputy district judge on August 13 this year. His date for release for this matter is September 8.

Recorder David Mason QC said the defendant was ‘clearly drunk’ at the time and said he ‘smoked too much cannabis’. He told the defence solicitor: “Clearly locking up your client doesn’t seem to have much effect.”

Sentencing the defendant, Recorder Mason went on to describe Payne’s behaviour on that night as ‘appalling’ and the level of damage caused as ‘very serious’.

He said: “You were on a rooftop in the city centre throwing items onto the ground which could have been very, very unpleasant for anyone who happened to be walking underneath. Thankfully – and luckily for you – nobody was hurt.”

Giving him full credit for his early guilty plea, Recorder Mason sentenced him to 14 months in prison suspended for two years. He must also complete an ‘onerous’ series of probation service requirements including a Thinking Skills programme, a 12 month alcohol treatment requirement and 30 rehabilitation activity requirements days.

Recorder Mason said: “Good luck Jack Payne. Let’s not see you again.”