People and communities
Successful prosecution for public urination in Walsall
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Walsall Council has successfully prosecuted an individual for urinating in a public place following a hearing on 3 January 2024 at Dudley Magistrates Court.
Mr Ian Riggon, aged 41 from Harborne, Birmingham, failed to appear at court where he was being prosecuted for urinating in public.
Magistrates found the council had proved Mr Riggon had breached the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) beyond reasonable doubt, and as a result, Mr Riggon was fined and given a criminal behaviour order.
Mr Riggon was fined £90, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £36 and costs of £874, totalling £1000.
Magistrates agreed to a four-year criminal behaviour order for Mr Riggon, meaning he is prohibited from Walsall town centre. If this order is breached, Mr Riggon could face another fine and/or imprisonment for up to five years.
“ I am pleased that we have been successful in prosecuting this individual and want to thank the teams involved in bringing this case to court.
Our borough is a place we want to keep clean, healthy, and tidy and we will continue to take action against those who breach the Public Spaces Protection Order.
I hope cases like this will help people understand this behaviour is not OK and will be enforced appropriately. “
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Notes to editors
Walsall Council’s PSPO helps deal with particular nuisances or problems that is damaging to the local community’s quality of life. The PSPO in place in Walsall town centre was put in place to tackle anti-social behaviour including street drinking and public urination.
Breach of a PSPO is a criminal offence for which an individual can be summoned to attend court and fined. Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 may also be issued to deal with a breach.
