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”
lordfec
The business cycle is a ponzy scheme designed to impoverish u every ponzy business cycle. Fact
Tim
There have been no marchers Lynnie because poor people don’t count, and the professional protestors are usually Middle class and get bees in their bonnets about other things; poverty and not eating and struggling on benefits is so far off their radar that they don’t care one way or the other. It’s got to be something trendy issue, or in some far away place, that they can wax lyrical over. That’s a part of the problem too. I notice all the Middle class crusading journalists have gone quiet now, where are they exactly, Tuscany? And, rather more aptly, the Right wing Middle class and ‘Left’ wing Middle classes have always felt contempt for Working class people.
The unfair economic system is to blame, and the Middle classes benefit from that; so they are not going to rock the boat. People with something to lose do not want anything fundamentally to change, even though they will go on about equal rights all day.
Tim
It is disgusting. Let everyone decide to vote Labour to get this bunch of heartless bastards out. That people are going hungry in a very wealthy country is an abomination.
Linda McGarrigle
Truly heartbreaking the misery being inflicted on the poorest in our society, i wish people would wake up and realise even if it’s alright for you atm it’s certainly NOT alright for many and one day it may very well be you or someone you love x
Beth 'Saphira' Downes
This is terrible…just terrible. So this is how our government chooses to run us into the ground huh? Desperation should not be so common in this day and age. Especially when it comes down to needing the basics like food and heat. I feel anger at Ca-moron for letting us run so far into the ground!