Leon Yates, 37, of Pickwick Grove in Moseley, has been ordered to pay a total of £485 after he urinated in a police vehicle and repeatedly directed a homophobic slur at a police officer. The sentence was handed down at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, September 2.
Yates was initially arrested for unrelated matters in Birmingham on Friday, July 31. While in custody, he urinated inside a police car, an act that prosecutors described as 'criminal damage'. During the same incident, he called PC Gill a 'f****t' on a number of occasions, according to prosecutor Sanna Hussain at the sentencing hearing.
Previous convictions and personal circumstances
The court heard that Yates has a history of previous convictions, including breaching a community order in 2024, racially aggravated harassment in 2020, and other matters for which he is also due to appear in court. Miss Hussain said she sought compensation for the homophobic language used against an emergency worker, as well as costs.
Yates' legal representative told the court that his client was 'intoxicated at the time' and had been struggling with alcohol following the death of his aunt and the loss of his job. He has also been diagnosed with depression. The defence said Yates now recognises alcohol is a problem and attends Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings 'three or four times a week', adding that he is 'on the path to reaching normality'.
Magistrate's sentencing remarks
The defence also noted that Yates had entered an early guilty plea and could afford to pay £50 a month from his Universal Credit. However, the magistrate expressed dissatisfaction with Yates' previous cooperation with probation, stating: "I am not particularly impressed with what probation had to say regarding your co-operation with the previous order."
The magistrate continued: "I am going to deal with the matter by way of a financial penalty. Starting at a £150 fine. Giving full credit for the guilty plea reduced it to £100. But an uplift for the homophobic element takes it back to £150. Plus a £100 victim surcharge. £50 compensation. £100 for the criminal damage offence And £85 costs. Total £485."
Financial penalty breakdown
The total financial penalty comprises a £150 fine (reduced from £150 after credit for the guilty plea, then increased back to £150 due to the homophobic element), a £100 victim surcharge, £50 compensation, £100 for the criminal damage offence, and £85 costs. Yates will pay the amount in monthly instalments of £50 from his Universal Credit.
