A persistent street drinker has been banned from entering Walsall town centre for four years.

The prosecution of Richard O’Brien, of Lord Street Walsall, was described as a success by Walsall Council’s leader, cllr Garry Perry. 

Earlier this year, O’Brien was found guilty of breaching a Public Space Protection Order in the town centre and ordered to pay £250. A PSPO gives authorities increased powers to tackle anti-social behaviour. 

The order bans anybody from causing alarm, harassment or distress, using electric scooters, using drugs or disposing of drug paraphernalia, begging, drinking alcohol, urinating or defecating outside of a toilet. 

Since his initial fine earlier this year, O’Brien has continued to breach the PSPO by consuming alcohol in public places. He failed to attend Dudley Magistrates Court on November 29, 2024, where an application for a Criminal Behaviour Order was heard.

The judge was satisfied that the threshold of a CBO had been met and granted the order, banning O’Brien from entering Walsall town centre for four years.

In a previous court appearance at Dudley Magistrates’ in 2022, O’Brien was one of two men fined £220 each for street drinking. O’Brien was also ordered to pay £324.45 in court costs and a £88 victim surcharge. 

Leader of Walsall Council, Councillor Garry Perry, said, “This is another successful prosecution for the council, but also our residents who are going about their daily lives in the town centre each and every day.

“Community safety is an immediate priority now, but also something that is embedded into ours and our partners’ long-term approach as we regenerate parts of the town centre.

“Out of the seven Criminal Behaviour Orders that have been heard since August 2023, all of them have been granted to enforce bans from the town centre, and we will continue to apply for these orders to prevent harm to our community.”

“We’re hearing from residents all the time that they want to feel more positive about our town centre, and it’s this sort of enforcement which will hopefully, little by little, contribute towards making our town a greater place.

“These prosecutions take a lot of time and patience, but our community protection team is committed to seeing them through to the end, so our residents can continue to enjoy the town they live in.”