Homeless offender deliberately kicked a glass door to get himself off the streets
A homeless paranoid schizophrenic who smashed glass in a door at a South Tyneside medical centre after “hearing things” in his head has been jailed.
Jamie Donaldson, 35, is starting eight weeks behind bars for an attack he had warned police he intended to carry out moments earlier.
Donaldson kicked the pane at Trinity Medical Centre in a deliberate attempt to get himself safely off the streets on Monday, June 2, a court heard.
While being arrested at the New George Street facility at Laygate, South Shields, he told a policeman, “I feel like the public are in danger if I stay out.”
And Donaldson then said, “I was just hearing things in my head. I need to go somewhere secure, not just prison.”
South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard police were on the lookout for him and were able to contact him on his mobile phone at midday.
Prosecutor Paul Anderson said Donaldson, who had been released from prison on licence three days earlier, agreed to meet them at the medical centre.
But when told there were no plans to recall him and send him back to jail, he replied, “I’ll smash the medical centre up”.
Mr Anderson added: “The officer then heard a banging noise and then noticed a crack in the glass.
“He said that he had smashed, he said he had kicked it with his foot. He said, ‘I’m guilty’.”
Donaldson pleaded guilty to a charge of causing £200 of criminal damage.
David Forrester, defending, confirmed Donaldson had been released from prison on Friday, May 30.
He said his client had been unaware that he may have a place to stay at an approved premises.
Mr Forrester added Donaldson had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.
District Judge Zoe Passfield told the defendant she gave him full credit for his guilty plea.
But she said his offence was aggravated by the fact it had been committed while he was on licence from prison.
As well as jailing him, Judge Passfield ordered him to pay £20 compensation to the medical centre.
Donaldson has previously appeared in court.
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