Homeless Chesterfield beggar pleaded with judge to be jailed 'to sort himself out'

Richard Musgrove made the plea over the videolink at Derby Crown Court.

The 40-year-old drug user had been remanded for trying to bite a police officer who had arrested him.

He then flooded his cell at the police station.

Jailing him for a total of 27 weeks, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “This is a very sad case.

“You have a miserable life, for the last 10 years you have been homeless and that’s a very sad thing.

“It is a dreadful state of affairs that you think the safest place for you where you can get the help you need, is prison.

“And I have no doubt you are absolutely right.”

Addressing Judge Smith over the videolink from Nottingham prison, Musgrove said: “Can I just say that, if I wasn’t begging, I would have been thieving or something else.

“It's either that or I would go to rob somebody.

“What am I supposed to do?”

Judge Smith said: “Maybe while you’re in custody someone will help you?”

Musgrove replied: “I will take any help, for the first time in my life I want to accept the help.

“I have had enough of the way I have lived my life.”

Outlining the case, Judge Smith said Musgrove’s latest offence took place in Chesterfield town centre on February 11.

He said: “He is 40 years old and has a bad record.

“He was last before the court in January, two weeks before committing this offence, for breaching his criminal behaviour order.

“On the day of the offence, he was begging and tried to bite an emergency worker when she arrested him.”

Musgrove, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to breaching a criminal behaviour order, attempting to assault an emergency worker and criminal damage.

Jasmine Kumar, mitigating, said her client has been living on the streets for 10 years and begs so that he can pay for food and drink.

She said previously a man was jailed after setting fire to Musgrove as he slept.