Chef Sentenced for Disorderly Conduct in Police Cell

Daniel Woodward, who makes £45,000 per year and supervises two kitchens, admitted to being drunk and disorderly. The 36-year-old chef missed his initial court appearance in the week leading up to Christmas and appeared in custody at York Magistrates Court.

At the time, Woodward was on a suspended prison sentence for affray, criminal damage, possession of a blade in public, assault, and a racially aggravated public order. A probation officer told magistrates that Woodward seemed to be struggling to accept that he had a drinking problem that needed addressing.

Magistrates ordered Woodward to serve six months of the 12-month prison sentence that was suspended in November of the previous year for two years. He was also jailed for a week each for criminal damage to the police cell and failure to attend court on December 21, with all sentences being served simultaneously. Being drunk and disorderly is a non-imprisonable offence.

Woodward, of Oakdale Avenue, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to all offences. Martin Butterworth, the prosecutor, stated that on the late Sunday of December 3, Woodward was abusive and aggressive in McDonalds and The Den on Cambridge Road, Harrogate town centre while under the influence of alcohol. Police arrested him, and at Harrogate Police Station, he urinated on the cell floor.

Siobhan White, representing Woodward, explained that he hadn’t used the toilet despite needing to because he was in a state of intoxication. He had missed the initial court hearing on December 21 due to confusion over the dates, but voluntarily surrendered to police the next day.

Woodward, who was in charge of two catering sites, had been drinking on the night of his arrest due to a personal tragedy. Ms White stated that he needed to address his mental health and alcohol use. The probation officer reported that Woodward had been ordered to wear an alcohol abstinence tag as part of his suspended sentence and had managed to abstain from alcohol, except for one incident on Boxing Day the previous year. However, he had yet to complete any of the 25 rehabilitative activity days ordered by the court, and was not effectively addressing his drinking issue during probation service sessions.

He had not provided a satisfactory reason for missing nine of the sessions.