
He told him: "I have to treat you as someone whose behavior completely disregards the ASBO. In 1999 you were diagnosed with a personality disorder and I am told there is unlikely to be any psychiatric disposition which to help you. The only thing the court can do is treat you as somebody who habitually breaks the order. On this occasion you were threatening to stab people, swearing and being aggressive to the public within hours of being released. Until you realize that this cannot go on, you will face longer and longer sentence. Unless you deal with this you could spend the rest of your life in prison.” Scott Horner, for the prosecution, said the ASBO, which has been in force for ten years, forbids him to use offensive or obscene words or gestures such are likely to cause harassment alarm or distress.
He said Lancelot was released from his last eight month sentence in November and within hours appeared before Plymouth Magistrates who released him again. Kevin Hopper, for the defense, said there is a danger of Lancelot spending almost all of the rest of his life in jail for public order offenses which normally carry a maximum penalty of just a few months. He said: "It is clear from the probation report that his mental health led to this behavior and he has a history of such issues. He was released from custody and within hours repeated the behavior. The reality is that unless there is some intervention, either enforced by the courts or through the mental health services, he will effectively serve a life sentence for public order offenses. He cannot comply with the ASBO because he is mentally ill and has a personality disorder. If he goes into custody he will be released and within hours he will be back here with the same outcome. He faces a life term but I don’t know what to suggest.”
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