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”
Daisy Chain
There are other ways of getting the money without taking it from overseas aid. This is purely ideological on the part of the government. They have the money, they just won’t use it on people they consider “undeserving”.
disqus_Y0mfI5Apau
Completely understand where he was coming from! I’m 18yo and lost my mother in 2012. Since the age of 16 i’ve had to deal with the shocking state of the benefit system when I was too depressed to work. I’ve felt 100% what this guy has been through, do not blame him at all! The way you are made to feel is horrible.
Me
Problem is the people that abuse the cause the gov to stop payments, if people were honest and not claim what they shouldnt or think they should be given it it would be easier to help people who need it
Gee
I need to know why a person’s partners earnings have to be taken into consideration. They are working and not claiming benefit so why are they being punished? If they are going to do this they have to take into consideration all the bills like mortgage, gas, electricity, phone (need that for the internet they say you have to use), water, enormous council tax bills. I live in one of the poorest areas in Wales yet have to pay £160 per month. Clothing washing uniforms for partner’s job. Fuel for that partner to get to work. 60 mile return journey because there are no jobs here. Tax, insurance, MOT for car, house insurance in case some scumbag decides to make off with your property. Oh yes and most importantly food to eat.
alex
well done this man! i know exactly how he feels and ive thought about it my self when they have stopped my money, luckily when i was in the state of mind he was in all the seats and comps were secured to the floor, i went 2 weeks on bread and water, and the last couple months on pasta and bread, the latest is i went in a day after my due signing day as i had an interview that took longer than i expected so as a result they have stopped my money again, they dont even let you know that day or a few days later that your benefit is stopped they wait 2 weeks to tell you so no time to make arrangements to feed your self or get heating etc, the 1st you know you dont have money is on the day you go to the bank and nothing is in it, also you cant get them to give part of the benefit for another 2 weeks, so you basically go 1 month without any money,
ive luckily been able to claim part of my benefit back since ive been sanctioned so long to the nice sum of £84 a fortnight that doesnt even pay my council tax tv license, phone and bb bills (which i need to do job search and apply for jobs) then gas electric oh dont forget bus fairs to go sign on again and to go to interviews etc, then they wonder why i have no money to travel 50 miles to get to an interview never mind what happens when i get offered a job? i need to sign off and then wait 2 months for pay all the time paying for travel and lunch and all the other bills, the system is a joke and needs a massive over haul, if i was in change it to make the job centre more like an agency so they actually do something and not just look for ways to stop the claimants money to meet the requirements of new legislation set up by the gov, just another way to punish and deprive the poor while they let the people with the big money have tax cuts and loop holes to allow them not to pay tax,
well i for 1 have had enough of this BS and i wont hesitate next time to get my self locked up hopefully i wont get community service id rather stay in jail anyway, in jail i wont need to worry about how i feed my self, pay for electric and other bills, and have officers protecting me 24/7 where as on the out side id be struggling to survive and more likely to be a victim of crime on the outside, and even better when i get out i get a council house, i dont know why i havent done it before, spent 9 years on a waiting list for a house, all i had to do was get locked up for a few months