AN aggressive beggar who is claimed to have harrassed town centre shoppers has been jailed for two months for threatening and offensive behaviour after appearing before St Helens Magistrates Court.

James Gaskell (47) of Duke Street, St Helens, pleaded guilty to two offences, the first of which occurred on February 20 in Kirkland Street. Two teenage girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, walking along the street were approached by Gaskell, who then addressed them using lewd and offensive language.

The second offence was committed on March 6 in the car park of Asda supermarket where mum, Carolyn Latham had parked her car while taking her young daughter shopping.

However, the court heard that when they got out, Carolyn spotted Gaskell staring at her from across the carpark and when he walked towards her, she got back into the car again, locking the doors behind her.

Upon reaching the car, Gaskell began banging on the windows, demanding she give him some money but the frightened woman managed to drive away and reported the incident to a nearby policeman.

Gaskell - who the court was told - suffers from mental health problems and is on daily medication, has been in police custody since March 18 and magistrates eventually decided that the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence would suffice.

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