Serial criminal has just one word for judge after committing 248th offence

A serial crook spared an immediate jail term for his 248th crime was arrested two days later … for committing his 249th offence. On December 2nd, Anthony Sheckley, 57, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates Court to admit twice flouting a criminal behaviour order (CBO) he was slapped with weeks earlier to stop his prolific offending.

He walked free with an eight-week suspended sentence by a district judge, but that afternoon drunkenly swore at patients at Cumberland Infirmary hospital – and two days later he was arrested again. On New Year’s Eve he admitted a drunk and disorderly charge but was still not jailed – instead being fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £32 surcharge.

Cumbria Police said – after the two-year CBO was initially imposed on Sheckley in October – that he was a serial nuisance for locals in Carlisle. 

They warned the public to keep an eye out for him, adding: “We would encourage anyone who witnesses the terms of such a court order being broken to contact the police immediately.” 

When he made his appearance in court on 2nd December, a district judge was told how on two dates in November he had ventured on to two central Carlisle roads — West Tower Street and Lonsdale Street — in breach of the CBO. 

For those offences he was given an eight-week prison sentence by a district judge, which was suspended for a year. 

But just two days later, Sheckley was arrested again for committing his 249th offence at the hospital, resulting in yet another magistrates’ court appearance on New Year’s Eve. 

There prosecutor George Shelley said the police had received two separate calls from security staff at the Cumberland Infirmary. 

Mr Shelley said: “They identified the defendant as being drunk, aggressive, shouting and swearing. The defendant was noted to be slurring his words, stumbling all over the place and swearing at people within the public atrium. 

“This had been heard by members of the public.”

Sheckley, of Carlisle, left the hospital before police arrived but he was then the subject of a second call from security personnel to police.

Mr Shelley added: “The same individual was back. He was abusive and refusing to leave,” said Mr Shelley. “It was the same behaviour as hours prior.

“Officers arrived on scene and confirmed the defendant was drunk and acting in a disorderly manner. As a result he was arrested.”

In court this week he admitted a drunk and disorderly charge. The prosecutor said he had 89 previous convictions for 248 offences on his criminal record.

Sheckley was not legally represented at the hearing. Asked whether he wished to say anything about his latest crime, the public pest replied: “No.”