A 23-year-old who went on a rampage smashing up businesses with a fire extinguisher in a town centre has been jailed.
Topless Callum Packman caused more than £30,000 of damage in King Street, Maidstone, including to Page and Wells estate agents, PureGym, Coral, Knight Edwards and Kokkoro on May 11.
Officers were first called to a break-in at Sainsbury’s supermarket in Romney Place around 7.45pm where “extensive damage” was caused to the store’s windows, before causing further damage to local businesses.
Packman was arrested and later charged with 11 counts of criminal damage, as well as two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, a public order offence and burglary.
He appeared at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (July 4), where prosecutor, Charles Evans, explained how the defendant had later thrown a fire extinguisher at officers, which damaged their vehicle.
During his sentencing hearing, Packman, who attended via video link, told Mr Recorder Webster KC, he wanted to represent himself and had not given “permission” for someone to defend him, adding that it was a “breach of human rights”.
The defendant said: “I want my case dismissed on so many levels,” before later saying it is a “breach of my self-confidence”.
In response, the judge informed Packman he is entitled to represent himself but that it “often helps” to have an advocate.
However, after a private conversation between Packman and his proposed defence solicitor, Kerry Waitt, it was decided he would represent himself.
The now 24-year-old told the judge he had not seen the CCTV evidence of himself, and although he pleaded guilty to the charges on June 9, he wanted to see the evidence for his own reasons.
He said: “Please can I see the CCTV evidence so I can take my sentence like a man and see the evidence and move on.”
But because the court was unable to retrieve the CCTV at that moment, and the judge explained he would have to adjourn the case to do so, Packman asked for the sentencing to proceed.
The prosecutor, Mr Evans, relayed the 15 counts to the court, including burglary, affray, assaulting emergency workers and further counts for damaging a police van, car and cell.
Mr Evans described the “rampage” which ensued from the moment Packman took a fire extinguisher from Sainsbury’s in Romney Place which he used to smash three windows in the store.
The prosecutor said: “We have the burglary and the theft as a trespasser and using the fire extinguisher to create further damage.”
To which the judge queried: “The theft was a bottle of water?”
Packman responded: “Yes, which I left there.”
After the damage caused in Romney Place, the court heard how Packman went to King Street and used it to inflict damage on a variety of businesses, including the Real Eating Co, who issued a statement after the incident to say it had taken the incredibly difficult decision to cease trading temporarily.
He continued to make threats to the officers and said ‘Do you want me to put your head through the window’ to one officer
When the police were called, the court heard they located Packman near a taxi rank where “he was topless”, and, in an angry rage, threw the fire extinguisher towards an officer.
Eventually Packman ran down Gabriels Hill and was subsequently arrested.
Mr Evans said: “He continued to make threats to the officers and said ‘Do you want me to put your head through the window’ to one officer.
“He continued shouting nonsense and calling the public ‘p******’ and threatening to harm them.”
While in the police van, the court heard Packman had spat in it on three occasions, despite being warned if it happened again he would also be arrested for criminal damage.
Undeterred, the prosecutor explained the 23-year-old had spat in the van for a third time, before looking at the constable and winking.
Once in custody, the court heard how Packman’s behaviour continued as he called an officer a “f****** grass” and a “scumbag”, and attempted to swing at an officers face, “missing it by millimetres”.
During another incident while in custody for the same offences, the court heard how he had headbutted a police officer when he was being taken back to his cell.
Packman interjected during the prosecutors statement and said: “I am sorry for smashing the windows but the police can go f*** themselves.”
Despite this, the prosecutor read parts of the officer’s witness impact statement which explained the incident had made him lose faith in members of the public, and has made his family worry whether he will come home safely.
The court heard how the damage had been totalled at approximately £30,321.
Mr Evans explained the defendant has 18 previous convictions, which included assault of an emergency worker.
Mr Recorder Webster KC handed him a 28 month custodial sentence and Packman will pay £7,000 in compensation.
