A former Royal Navy seaman has been given an Asbo – to stop him swearing at politicians when they appear on his TV or on the radio.
Martin Solomon, 64, has already spent the past two weeks in prison waiting to be sentenced after admitting he had breached a previous Asbo by shouting and swearing loudly in his home in Stroud, Gloucestershire, and disturbing his neighbours last month.
Appearing at Gloucester Crown Court, Solomon said he was sorry for his outbursts, which he said were prompted by politicians speaking on TV programmes. He also promised to avoid General Election coverage.
‘I am sorry, I have nothing against my neighbours at all,' he told the court. ‘When I see Question Time sometimes I get angry but it's not directed at anyone else, it's at the TV.
‘I'm a hard-working member of society. I don't want to go to prison – my solicitor told me not to watch the TV.'
Judge Martin Picton set him free with a new community order for 12 months, 200 hours' unpaid work, 60 days' attendance on an education and training course, and monthly court reviews.
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