An unemployed man who had not eaten for three days set fire to a job centre in order to get a hot meal in police custody, according to the Manchester Evening News.
An unemployed man who had not eaten for three days because his benefits had been stopped set fire to a job centre in order to get a hot meal in police custody, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Bee O’Brien, 49, set fire to the customer telephones at a jobcentre in Moss side after a row about his benefits.
O’Brien told police he would “commit a crime and get arrested. I need some food”.
According to the Evening News:
‘O’Brien, of Camelford Close, Hulme, admitted criminal damage, attempted arson, and using threatening words and behaviour when he appeared before Manchester magistrates.
Gina Clayton, defending, said: “His benefits had been stopped for some reason and he hadn’t eaten for three days. He was simply desperate for some food. He went to the job centre to get his payments and lost his temper.
“He was aware that if he was arrested he would have been given food at the police station.”’
O’Brien was given a 12 month community order and ordered to do 40 hours unpaid work.
Last month a disabled man took his own life after worrying about how he would manage once his benefits were stopped.
128 Responses to “Tory Britain: Man sets fire to job centre after not eating for three days”
Robert Kaye
Do we know why his benefits were stopped? Or do we never think people should have their benefits stopped?
And was it OK that he was abusive to public sector workers.
honest
where people deciding of it probably couldn’t eat no more.
Gen William Taggart
To be honest, after leaving this chap 3 days without food, then just speaking to him on a phone to continue to deny him anything, although I do not condone abusive behaviour towards public sector workers, their behaviour was just as atrocious as well.
Nobody can hide behind their ‘public sector worker’ title when another human being is treated this way.
Gen William Taggart
On the point concerning benefits being stopped, to be honest other than criminal behaviour such as fraud, nobodies benefits should be 100% stopped.
Previously sanctions, where only a percentage, as this actually allowed the person to live. Food banks do not supply more than 3 days of food, (up to 3 times a year). So to 100% sanction anybody is effectively telling them to go off and die.
David O Rourke
Very true and well done you.. Its not that even people who work are now feeling the pain for unemployed people Well this ones with a heart How many pensioners will be scared in there own homes soon All the government are doing is saying i don’t want to deal with them This maybe good for people who work and think Haha but to be fair there is some crazy people in job-centers and they will need income from other places Old people will be targeted shops decent people in the street What i don’t get why would anyone think the tories are smart people ? They have no clue how to run anything They will go in 2015 everyone should just stop listening to them just now What they going to do come chap your door there self ? They don’t have the balls face to face Its all done in the background Cowards the lot of them I certainly would not mind standing face to face with anyone of them Would make a good news report am sure of it It would also make me famous