Former homeless man with drug issues was caught begging at town centre car park

A former homeless man who was caught with the zombie-drug Black Mamba and was later spotted begging in a town centre council car park has been brought to justice.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, April 4, how Carl Martin Broadbent, 51, of Danby Avenue, Old Whittington, Chesterfield, was spotted by police begging at Soresby Street car park, in Chesterfield, near the payment machine.

Prosecuting solicitor Emma Price said: “This defendant has caused problems with anti-social behaviour and in addition to this offence he has recently been given two dispersal notices and begging is a particular problem for police in the area.”

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Police were on patrol at 4.50pm at the Chesterfield Borough Council car park, according to Mrs Price, and they spotted Broadbent sat near the payment machine with his left hand raised with the palm of his hand facing upwards towards a female and she gave him £1.

Broadbent admitted to police that he knows it is an offence to beg and that he has previously been caught begging.

Mrs Price added that Broadbent has an extensive record of previous convictions including possessing class A and B drugs and for begging.

Broadbent pleaded guilty to begging after the incident on January 24.

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He also admitted possessing 1.07grammes of the cannabis-based class B drug Black Mamba after he was approached by police on November 29, last year.

Mrs Price said police found him at the rear of Jackson’s Bakery, at Theatre Yard, Low Pavement, in Chesterfield, with a pipe with vegetable matter in it and a substance in a plastic bag a few inches away.

Broadbent confirmed the substance was Black Mamba and it was for his own personal use.

Defence solicitor John Wilford said Broadbent has a massive gap with no offending between 2002 and 2017 and the defendant accepts he should not have been begging but he was doing so passively.

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Mr Wilford added Broadbent had been homeless up until January and prior to that he had been in stable accommodation with no issues but his life became chaotic after using heroin and Mamba and he became homeless.

However, Broadbent has got himself back into accommodation, according to Mr Wilford.

Magistrates fined Broadbent £40 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.