HARTLEPOOL, England - A 20-year-old's alleged practical joke, drunkenly staggering into the Londis Store wearing a strap-on sex toy, landed him in court.
James Whiting reportedly ended up in court because he refused to leave the store after continuing his prolonged prank in September 2007.
A court heard that when a female shop assistant asked Whiting
to leave, Whiting became abusive. About 10 minutes later, the assistant slapped
Whiting in the face before the man fled, according court reports.
Whiting later was arrested and claimed he was drunk and could not recall the
incident until his friends told him about it. He said it was a practical joke
and admitted that his behavior could have caused distress and was unnecessary.
At the time of the incident, Whiting was subject to a community order for a previous assault conviction. His actions at the Londis Store violated the order.
Whiting was sentenced to 20 weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months. He also was placed under an 18-month community order, assigned 200 hours of community service and fined 50 pounds ($98.05).
