Defendant: The Queen gave me permission to smoke cannabis
A man who began rolling a cigarette in court had previously told police that the Queen had given him permission to smoke cannabis, and had even supplied him with the drug.
Anthony Carl Hendricks was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison yesterday for a racially-aggravated public order offence. Hendricks, of no fixed address, had previously pleaded guilty to the offence, plus being in possession of cannabis and using threatening words and behaviour.
Mrs Abigail Hall, prosecuting, said Hendricks had been arrested on August 8 after threatening staff at Portico House, a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation office in Wellington, Telford.
Hendricks had been banned from the establishment but after banging on the window of the office had managed to gain entry through a door that had not been shut properly, said Mrs Hall.
Once inside he began to shout at staff, insulting them, banging on a glass partition demanding needles and threatening to burn the place down.
Hendricks then pretended to faint but when staff ignored him he left the premises and was later arrested by police, said Mrs Hall.
Officers found a small amount of cannabis on him during a search, Telford Magistrates Court was told.
Mrs Hall said that 52-year-old Hendricks had told officers during an interview that he "had been given permission to smoke the drug from the Queen" and that she had even supplied him with the drug.
The court heard Hendricks was a long-term drug addict with 32 previous convictions for 78 offences who had since become homeless. Hendricks even began to roll a cigarette as he sat in court. Hendricks received an extra four weeks for the racially-aggravated part of the offence. No separate penalty was given for the drugs offence.
Hendricks was also given a concurrent sentence of four weeks for breaching a conditional discharge.
Miss Claire Stevens, for Hendricks, said that there was "little I can offer in mitigation" for Hendricks who "finds himself in a vicious circle" of offending.
