Homeless man's jail wish

"Arrest me or I'll smash shop windows"

A MAN said to be homeless, was granted his wish yesterday – he was sent back to the prison he had just left.
Carl Howley, 28, was so desperate, that he warned police he would smash the windows of commercial premises in Thurso if he wasn’t arrested and sent to prison.
Howley was nearing the last leg of his journey to Orkney, where he has family, but found himself with no money and nowhere to stay.
His “slightly unusual” circumstances were outlined at Wick Sheriff Court by David Barclay, prosecuting.
He said that Howley was intoxicated when he came to the attention of the police in Rotterdam Street, Thurso, late on Wednesday night.
Mr Barclay said: “The accused said he was in a bit of a jam...he had no money and nowhere to go. He told officers that if they didn’t arrest him and get him back to jail he would do whatever it took. He then stated that he would break several windows of nearby commercial premises. The police granted his wish and arrested him.”
Howley, of no fixed abode, appeared from custody and admitted threatening behaviour and was jailed for 20 days.
Solicitor William Young said that his client had been given a travel warrant and some funds on his release from prison, earlier that day, and travelled north, intending to catch the ferry over to Orkney.
However, Mr Young went on: “Unfortunately, he was assaulted and lost the little money he had . It was against that background that he approached the police in a somewhat desperate attempt to secure accommodation. He had no money, nowhere to stay and no means of getting over to Orkney.”
Howley, who has a record and is current on bail from Inverness, on an unrelated matter, was told by Honorary Sheriff Farquhar Macgregor: “It is a shame you are wasting your life in the manner in which you are” adding that the accused had gone the wrong way about finding a solution to his predicament.