Freddie Farnie, 25, and Karl Laslett, 24, were arrested for separate incidents

Two men have been convicted of being drunk and disorderly in Tunbridge Wells after England’s World Cup quarter-final win over Sweden.

Freddie Farnie, 25, and Karl Laslett, 24, were arrested for separate incidents in the town centre on July 7.

Both men were unrepresented when they appeared before Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (July 24).

Fruit farm worker Farnie, of Holmewood Road in High Brooms, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in a public place, as well as causing criminal damage to a property valued under £5,000.

Prosecution

Prosecuting, Debbie Jones, said: “On 7th July at 5pm, officers were deployed in Tunbridge Wells town centre to deal with any public order incidents, as there was World Cup football on.”

Officers were stationed outside the Opera House, when 10 people walked out.

Ms. Jones continued: “One was the defendant and he was standing in the road. He was asked to move and said ‘I can do what I f****** want, it’s a free country.'”

‘You can’t touch me’

Farnie reportedly also approached an officer and said: “You can’t touch me, that’s f****** assault,” before being pulled away by friends when police asked him to move.

Ms Jones continued: “He stood in the road shouting at another officer. The officer approached with the intention of arresting him but he ran off.”

A short while later, Farnie had made his way to The Barn on Mount Pleasant Road, where he was abusive to members of staff before being spotted hot-footing it back up the hill in the direction of the Trinity Theatre, the court heard.

The arrest

Ms Jones added: “Police made their way to York Road and detained the defendant and arrested him for being drunk and disorderly.”

While in his cell at Tonbridge police station in the early hours of July 8, the court heard how Farnie spat on the wall and at the CCTV camera, as well as tearing up the reading material and flushing it down the toilet.

Regarding his behaviour that evening, Farnie said: “It was a one off on that day because of the football. I used to have a few problems a few years ago but I’ve grown up a bit. It was just a bad day.”

Conditional discharge

Sentencing, magistrate Abigail Brennan said: “We are going to make a conditional discharge for 12 months. If you commit any offence, however, I will stress, any offence, then you will be brought back to court and not only with that offence but this will be put back again.

“You are required to pay £80 for a deep clean [of the cell], together with a victim surcharge of £20, plus £85 costs.”

Laslett

Also on that Saturday afternoon, Laslett, a labourer, who lives on Grange Road, was outside The Rose and Crown pub on Grosvenor Road.

Police attended the pub after they became aware of an altercation involving a group of males in the street.

Prosecuting, Debbie Jones said: “[Members of staff] went outside and informed police that [Laslett] had been refused service and been asked to leave.

“He said he was upset about being asked to leave, as he was banned from everywhere else in town.”

She added: “He went to the opera house [Wetherspoon’s] and caused further problems.

“At that point, the officers made the decision to arrest him.”

‘I wasn’t that drunk’

Laslett, who pleaded guilty to the charge of being drunk and disorderly, said: “To be fair I wasn’t that drunk because I was only in the cell for four hours.

“If I was that bad don’t you think I would have been in overnight?”

He added: “It was the World Cup on so there was around 1,000 people in town doing as I was and they chose me. That’s my luck isn’t it?”

Sentencing, Magistrate Brennan said: “We’re going to deal with this by way of a fine. The fine will be £160. You must pay costs of £85 and the victim surcharge will be £35.”

Kent Live