A FORMER policeman has renounced alcohol after his drinking gave him a criminal record, led to him being evicted and put him in hospital, York magistrates heard.

Alan Glasby, 64, led a law abiding life until October last year, when he was convicted of three charges of shop theft. He went on to breach the conditional discharge imposed for that and was given a community order for three charges of criminal damage and two of sending nuisance text messages to his then landlord. He was also given a harassment warning, York magistrates heard.

Kathryn Reeve, prosecuting, said on January 20, when his landlord Steven Green was having him evicted because of his behaviour, Glasby sent abusive text messages to the landlord. He was arrested.

York magistrates heard Glasby was supposed to do 120 hours’ unpaid work and supervision as punishment for his earlier crimes, but since January had not turned up for work sessions or attended supervision sessions.

Glasby, a former policeman and mental health worker, now living at the Arc Light homeless centre, pleaded guilty to sending nuisance text messages and breaching a community order. Magistrates gave him a 12-month conditional discharge and five days’ specified activities and must pay £85 CPS prosecution costs and £40 probation service prosecution costs.

His solicitor Craig Robertson said through drinking, he hit “rock bottom”. A personal tragedy led to him drinking and over the past 12 to 18 months his alcohol consumption had got “completely out of control”.

Earlier this year, he had to be taken to hospital. Since being discharged from hospital, he had stuck to non-alcoholic drinks.

A probation report to the court recommended that Glasby continue the community order as he was now not drinking.