A 55-year-old Brierley man has been ordered to pay £157 in fines, costs and surcharges after he admitted being drunk in the middle of Newnham, shouting obscenities at passers-by.

At Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Monday, (September 26) prosecutor Cathy Thornton said that on Friday September 9 at around 3.20pm Pete Aston was heard shouting from a location near the clock tower in the High Street in Newnham.

He was heard delivering a string of obscenities at passing traffic and pedestrians with young children who were passing by at the time, she said.

A witness, who felt harassed by his behaviour, called the police and said she knew Aston and he was probably under the influence of alcohol because he was staggering about.

When the police arrived they arrested Aston, who stated he had consumed two bottles of wine and explained that it was never his attention to offend anybody – but he accepted that he had done so.

Aston, known in the Dean as ‘Mad Pete’, was not legally represented and addressed the magistrates himself, saying he was sorry for his actions and he meant no malice.

His actions were a result of his drunkenness, he said.

Aston pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive words or behaviour within the hearing of others causing them alarm or distress.

Simon White, the Presiding Justice, told Aston that it had been ‘quite an unpleasant incident that involved children’ and he added: “You were completely drunk, in public in the middle of the afternoon. There is no excuse for this type of behaviour.”

The magistrates fined Aston £80 and ordered him to pay £45 towards court costs and £32 victim surcharge.