Man admits damaging Telford police cell - with a pillow
A man who damaged a Telford cell with a pillow had either shown the state of repair of a police station or the hardness of police-issued pillows, his solicitor told a court.
Connor Hayhurst pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal damage when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court.
Prosecuting, Mrs Jenny Winzor said that Hayhurst had used a pillow to bang against an area around an extraction vent while he was being held in custody at Malinsgate Police Station.
She said that the area would require repairs and re-plastering but added that the police had not been able to provide a figure.
The damage was discovered at 1.45am on October 18 and Hayhurst later apologised to officers in interview, saying that he had become agitated at the way he had been treated.
The court was told that the offence put the 20-year-old defendant in breach of a 12-month conditional discharge for possession of cannabis and that he had previous convictions for theft and criminal damage.
Mr Robert Sowter, for Hayhurst, said that the defendant had become anxious as he had not been able to take his depression medication and sleeping tablets.
He said the criminal damage offence would "tell you about the state of repairs in a police station or how hard a pillow is".
Hayhurst, of Phoenix Court, Gillingham, Kent was fined £60 and ordered to pay a total of £275 in various court costs.
His conditional discharge was left to run.
