Street drinker running out in front of moving traffic in Granby Street fined

A 44-year-old woman who was drinking in Granby Street caused traffic delays by running in front of traffic. Leicestershire Police were called to the shopping street in Leicester city centre on Sunday, May 26, and found Debbie New with a can of alcohol in her hand, jumping on and off the pavement.

They tried to tell her to stop but she ignored them so they arrested her and charged her with being drunk and disorderly. On Wednesday (June 12) she appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court - for the fourth time in the past nine months - and was fined.

The court heard that New, of no fixed address, had been convicted in October last year of using threatening or disorderly behaviour, receiving a community order that was still ongoing, and then was back in court the following month for shoplifting. She has already had two convictions in 2024 for racially-aggravated threatening or disorderly behaviour and for breaching her community order.

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The prosecutor, Adeel Zafar, told the court: "She was seen in Granby Street walking in front of moving traffic and the officers asked her to stop but she was not engaging with them. She had a smell of alcohol, was unsteady on her feet and had a can of alcohol in her hand."

He said New had 66 offences on her record in total. Kate Nield, representing New, said that despite the breach of the community order, New was now "engaging with probation" and had stopped taking drugs.

She said: "She's a lady with a lot of issues. She's stopped taking drugs and she's cutting down on drink.

"She's extremely vulnerable. There's a lot going on in her life. She is struggling and when things get harder for her she will drink, which is what happened on this day."

New, who continues to be subject to the community order from last October, was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 victim surcharge.