An asylum seeker drank 15 bottles of beer before assaulting a security guard and a police officer.
28-year-old Habtom Eleas pleaded guilty to common assault and assaulting an emergency worker at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 12 May.
Despite having a weekly allowance of just £7-a-week, the defendant – who claimed to be upset about being assaulted two weeks ago – purchased more than a dozen beers and drank them all.
Prosecutor Keith Ballinger said Eritrean Eleas is residing in the Ibis Budget Hotel in Swindon town centre, which is solely being used to house asylum seekers and refugees.
On 13 March this year, went to the hotel’s bar area to speak to a security guard after he lost his room key. Concerned he may not get a replacement, he became aggressive.
Fearing he would be assaulted by the defendant, who attempted to strike him with a roll of tissue paper, the guard backed off and police were called to the scene.
PC Read and colleagues arrived at the hotel to find Eleas appearing “very drunk” and he was arrested.
When the officer attempted to put him into the back of the police van, he started banging his head on the cage door. When PC Read placed his hand behind his head to prevent further injury, Eleas slammed his head back once again, trapping the officer’s hand – causing some pain.
In custody, he told officers that he had been assaulted two weeks prior by another resident of the hotel and that he had been drinking to deal with his angry and upset.
The security guard confirmed that the defendant has since apologised for his actions and that he now “wishes to have good working relationship with him”.
Duty solicitor Tony Nowogrodzki said his drunk client was “very apologetic” for making a “nuisance of himself in the hotel”, stating it was due to a misunderstanding due to a language barrier.
He said Eleas felt the handcuffs were “extremely tight”, and he wanted the police to loosen them. Because he only speaks Tigrinya and the officers were no helping him, there was a struggle.
Mr Nowogrodzki confirmed his client’s income is a £7 per week allowance for toiletries.
Magistrates imposed an 18-month conditional discharge and told him to pay a surcharge of £22. Prosecution costs were no awarded due to the defendant’s lack of means.
A conditional discharge means Eleas was convicted of the charges, but won’t face any punishment – unless he commits another offence during the discharge period.
