Brighton yob Marshall Mathers back in court over latest crimes

Marshall Mathers caused criminal damage and attacked people in Brighton.

The 47-year-old, who changed his name to match that of the American musician, has previously been jailed for various incidents in the city.

He appeared before Brighton Magistrates’ Court where he admitted some offences and was found guilty of others.

The court heard how he caused criminal damage at a Hudson’s Guest House in Devonshire Place in April last year.

He also assaulted Goodness Obayangbon on the same day in a racist attack, which he denied but was found guilty of.

While in police custody, he assaulted an officer and caused £600 worth of damage to two police cells.

Brighton Magistrates Court

Previously The Argus revealed how Mathers was approached by police in Victoria Gardens in November last year.

They found him in possession of an axe and a small amount of drugs.

He was in possession of the menacing weapon while still subject to supervision by the probation service after being in prison.

He was put back behind bars for 22 weeks when he appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

The drugs matter was not proceeded with.

Before that, Mathers, who has battled heroin addiction, has been in court over two rooftop rampages in Brighton, as well as a racist incident in Tesco in Jubilee Street.

The Argus reported how in August 2018 he brought the city to a standstill while launching a protest on top of the Brewdog pub in Grand Parade.

He remained there from midnight through until 10am during a stand-off.

Marshall Mathers was previously jailed over a rooftop rampage on top of Brewdog in Grand Parade, Brighton in August 2018

The incident caused huge delays throughout the city centre, with emergency services closing the southbound road from Easy Hours to the bottom of Edward Street and traffic being diverted.

Marshall Mathers was previously jailed over a rooftop rampage on top of Brewdog in Grand Parade, Brighton in August 2018

The vandal damaged two police cars with the tiles he hurled and he was also setting items alight.

Residents in neighbouring streets were asked not to leave their homes out of fear for their safety as the situation was dealt with.

Following that case, police said: “Aside from the damage and disruption that he caused, Mathers’s blatant disregard for where he was throwing items into the street below could have led to serious injury or worse for those below.”

Marshall Mathers was previously jailed over a rooftop rampage on top of Brewdog in Grand Parade, Brighton in August 2018

For that incident Mathers admitted public nuisance, affray and criminal damage and was jailed for 18 months in October 2018.

In August 2016 he also caused a disturbance in a rooftop protest in Gardner Street, Brighton, with city roads having to be shut for more than an hour.

Police were called to the centre of Brighton following reports a man had used scaffolding to climb on to the roof of a building.

In October 2017 Mathers, now of Brighton Road, Southgate, Crawley, was put under an eight-week curfew over racist abuse at Tesco in Jubilee Street, Brighton.

He told one guard: “I know where you live. I will stand outside till you finish your shift.”

Mathers also called one guard a “black s***”, a “rat” and a “f****t” and told the guard to “go back to your country” and “go back to the cotton fields”.

The court also heard how Mathers later smeared excrement in his police cell.

Marshall Mathers was jailed for possessing an offensive weapon in Victoria Gardens, Brighton

His solicitor at the time said Mathers was upset about his gran’s death, and was frustrated at being banned from the store.

His other previous convictions also include public order offences and assaulting a police officer in 2015.

For his latest offences, Mathers, of Craven Road, Brighton, was spared a prison sentence.

He admitted criminal damage to two police cells and criminal damage to a door at Hudson’s Guest House, and he admitted assaulting a police officer.

Mathers was found guilty of a racially aggravated assault.

In a hearing in the spring magistrates’ ordered him to pay £200 in compensation to Ms Obayangbon and £100 compensation to Hudson’s Guest House.

He was also told to pay a £90 surcharge and complete 15 rehabilitation sessions.

Mathers was put under curfew from 10pm to 8am every day for three months, and the order expires on June 25.

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