Court is told why riot police with shields and Tasers turned up at a Telford McDonald's
Police were scrambled to a McDonald's equipped with riot shields and Taser weapons after reports of a man making threats with a bottle, a court heard.
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A then homeless man, Luke Pickering, had headed into the 'cramped' toilets of the fast food restaurant at Colliers Way, in Old Park, in Telford on June 16 this year as he looked for a place to stay for the night and get off the streets.
Pickering, aged 28, and now living in Chapel Street, Llandudno, appeared at Telford Magistrates Court on Wednesday to explain that the events had not been quite as dramatic as they appeared. He pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
Kate Price, prosecuting, said it was a straightforward case and that Pickering has a clean record.
"It is mitigated by the staff knowing that he had locked himself in the toilet in a state of intoxication," she said.
She said police had been called and told that Pickering had a glass bottle and was making threats. There was no bottle and no threats, she said.
"He was taken out by police, swore at officers and attempted to bang his head on a police vehicle. He refused attempts to help him home and was taken into custody."
