South Tyneside man jailed for 42 weeks after breaching court order six times
“He is the author of his own downfall.”
A South Tyneside man banned by a court from an area of town centre has been jailed for 42 weeks for offences including wandering where he ought not.
Anti-social behaviour pest Steven Smith, 43, was described as “the author of his own downfall” for venturing into off-limit streets in South Shields.
Smith, of Crieff Grove, Jarrow, was issued with a criminal behaviour order (CBO), requiring him to stay out of a defined location, by borough magistrates in June.
He was previously hauled into court for breaching it and at an appearance on Monday, September 21, was given a last chance by a judge to abide by its terms.
But Smith showed scant regard and breached the order six times in total on the last three days of October, prosecutor Glenda Beck said.
Mrs Beck said he did so by going into Keppel Street on Thursday, October 29, and King Street the following day.
And on Saturday, October 31, he was twice seen by police in King Street and once each in Keppel Street and Ocean Road.
She told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “In regard of these matters, I think they speak for themselves.
“At 2.49pm on Saturday, he had 15 minutes to leave but at 5.51pm he had returned or had not left. He was arrested for failing to comply with the order.”
Smith pleaded guilty to six counts of breach of a CBO and one of failing to comply with a section 35 direction by being in Ocean Road when prohibited, also on October 31.
The court heard he was made subject to a 12-week suspended prison term in August for another CBO breach.
And at his September court hearing, he was given his final warning by District Judge Zoe Passfield, following three further breaches.
Duncan Emmerson, defending, said: “I don’t think there’s a great deal I can say in respect of these offences.
“The defendant’s circumstances have been affected by alcohol consumption.
“There doesn’t seem to be any complaint with anti-social behaviour, but his very presence gets him into this situation.
“He seems to be wandering around areas where he shouldn’t. The six breaches all come at once – he’s been in the streets or near.
“He would like a glimmer of hope because he is concerned that he’s going to lose his accommodation if jailed.
“He is very concerned about what will happen when he comes out of prison with his accommodation. He is the author of his own downfall.”
Judge Passfield activated the full 12 weeks of Smith’s suspended prison sentence.
She also revoked an existing community order for a charge of affray, committed in the town centre in September 2025, and replaced it with a consecutive 12-week jail term.
The judge also jailed him for 12 weeks for each of 12 other previous breaches of the CBO, to run concurrently to each other but consecutively to the other sentences.
And she jailed him for six consecutive weeks for an earlier admitted breach of a restraining order against a relative.