Homeless man is jailed for breaking into Gosport police station and setting off fire extinguishers

The closed Gosport Police Station in South Street

Marc MacLellan, 35, smashed a window to get into the disused Gosport police station, in South Street, before spraying the extinguishers.

Just two days before he had urinated in a cell at Portsmouth Central after being arrested for causing up to £2,000 of damage at a home in Wilmott Lane, Gosport.

Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard unemployed MacLellan ‘doesn’t have a good relationship with the police’ as he claims he was previously ‘manhandled’ by an off-duty police officer in an incident that cost him a ‘potential career’ in the fire service.

Edward Jackson, for MacLellan, said: ‘He’s gone into the police station, which has been closed due to cuts.

‘He goes and breaks the window to get in with plans to sleep for the night. He lets off the fire extinguishers.’

Police have to pay £150 to fix the window and £35 to recharge the extinguishers.

Prosecutor Graham Heath said MacLellan had been arrested on December 4 for damaging property belonging to Gosport Borough Council, was arrested and urinated in a cell.

Mr Jackson said: ‘There was no toilet in the cell, so he urinated in the cell. There was fair degree of confrontation with detention officers.’

Flanked by two dock officers MacLellan admitted criminal damage, violent behaviour at the police station and burglary.

Magistrates imposed the 12-week suspended prison sentence from the earlier assault, with three weeks for criminal damage, one week for violent behaviour and no separate penalty for the burglary. In all he was jailed for 12 weeks.

n Private probation firms supervised a criminal by telephone, a defence solicitor has said.

Edward Jackson was defending Marc MacLellan, who had been on probation for the previous assault.

He said ‘private companies’ were ‘doing most of the work’ in probation.

Mr Jackson said: ‘There’s a huge pressure in terms of resources and Mr MacLellan says in the recent past most of his supervision consists of ringing up, being asked if he’s alright and not very much has happened.’

The court heard he had not attended unpaid work.