"Glazed eyes" - South Tyneside woman fined for being drunk and disorderly tells court she lives in a park
Woman found unruly and intoxicated by police tells magistrates that her home address is North Marine Park in South Shields.
A South Tyneside woman who gives her address as a park has been fined for causing trouble while drunk in a town centre.
Alvena Underwood, 40, became aggressive towards another female who she accused of being a grass in front of police in Keppel Street, South Shields.
Officers who were called to deal with her on the afternoon of Friday, May 8, found her unruly and intoxicated, borough magistrates heard.
She failed to attend a court case at which she was accused of being drunk and disorderly in public.
But unemployed Underwood, whose address was listed in court documents as the town’s North Marine Park, Lawe Road, was found guilty of the offence in her absence.
Prosecutor Jasmine Dodd said a statement of Underwood’s crime had been made by one of three police officers working together on patrol that day.
Ms Dodd added: “They attended a report of an aggressive female. They attempted to get information from her.
“Instead, she stood up harshly and started arguing with a female who she referred to as ‘Stacey’.
“The officer says that the defendant told the woman that she had grassed her up and to keep her nose out of her business.
“She was swearing, and the officers could smell intoxicating liquor, and her eyes were also glazed.
“Due to the level of her behaviour, she was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and placed in the rear of a police van and taken to a police station.
“The crown says you can be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was drunk and disorderly. It’s a starting point of a fine.”
Magistrates, who heard Underwood owes £2,685 to the court from previous offending matters, fined her £60, with £85 court costs and a £24 victim surcharge.
Susan Kirtley, chair of the bench, said Underwood’s new financial punishment would be added to her existing fines.