A one man crimewave who caused chaos across the city centre has been jailed. Roger Clarke, 54, repeatedly lost his temper, abusing receptionists, managers, police and members of the public in a fit of rage.
Clarke, of Fallowfield, admitted offences of criminal damage, public order, racially aggravated harassment, assaulting an emergency worker and affray and was jailed for 16 months. He was also banned from going into the city centre as well as two residential homes for vulnerable people.
Manchester Crown Court was told of the first incident, on August 1 2021 at around 9.30am following a mix-up regarding Clarke’s social worker at the Booth Centre in Cheetham Hill. He became aggressive and was asked to leave, but he became argumentative and told the woman on reception: “you better stay away from me today”.
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He was pacing up and down before he began throwing items including cutlery, tables and chairs around the room. “He was shouting ‘you f***** b****’ and was heard to shout ‘you're all filthy c****, should all get raped and killed”, prosecutor Michael Goldwater said.
Clarke then went to harm himself with a razor, and once police attended, he was arrested and detained under the Mental Health Act. The foyer was said to be ‘littered’ with debris, with the £3,000 worth of damage caused.
The second incident took place a few months later on November 27, when Clarke attended the reception of Woodward Court in Ancoats, where he was privately renting a flat. He approached the manager at the front desk and said: “do not talk over me, you stupid f****** c****.”
He then used racist language towards the man, before abusing another member of staff who approached him, calling him a ‘shiny bl*ck bald headed c***.” As officers arrived to arrest him he said one officer was a ‘fat f******* lesbian b******’ and said ‘I’ll kick you in the c*** b*****’.
As they went to put him in the back of the police van, he became violent, attempting to headbutt one officer and kicking out at another, making contact with her groin. As she moved away he kicked out again, striking her in the face, before kicking the other officer in the face.
When he was later interviewed, he said he had drunk a whole bottle of vodka during the day and claimed he had been earlier challenged about outstanding rent.
The final incident saw Clarke get into a fight in the middle of a McDonalds in the city centre on January 6 this year at around 8.25am.
“The staff member went over and told them to stop what they were doing, at which Clarke said: “He called me a paedo, I’ve got two grandchildren, how can I be a paedo?” He then grabbed that same man he had been attacking with a stick. When the police arrived, the man had visible injuries to his head and face,” Mr Goldwater said.
Clarke was said to have 68 previous convictions for over 100 offences including possession of a bladed article, driving offences, drug offences, battery, criminal damage, racially aggravated harassment, abusive behaviour and breach of a criminal behaviour order.
Mitigating, Alistair Reid said his client accepts that his behaviour is ‘abhorrent’ and he is ‘genuinely ashamed’ and remorseful.
“There are concerns he may have PTSD. He feels a great frustration at the system he is a part of. He wants help and tries to get help from a number of sources, however resources are limited and he has not been in the position where he can get help,” Mr Reid said.
“He fully acknowledges that he was angry and responded angrily. He has a history of problems with alcohol and had been homeless for a number of years.
“He is keen to emphasise this is not the person he wants to be.” He added that he did not realise he used language ‘designed to cause upset because of the recipient's ethnic background was easiest to target’.
Judge Hilary Manley said he had also directed misogynistic abuse towards women, which Clarke replied the court would ‘not find on his record’. “That’s because it’s not a criminal offence yet - but it will be,” the judge said.
Mr Reid added that his client has been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder and said he felt there was nothing available to help him make steps to resolve his problems.
Sentencing, Judge Manley said Clarke made ‘horrible, misogynistic threats and abuse’ at staff at the Booth Centre and went on to hurl ‘vile racist abuse’ at staff at the Woodward Centre. “You were trying to cause them as much hurt as possible and you homed in on what would cause the most hurt possible - that is racist.”
“There is no doubt that there is a limit of resources for dealing with mental health and you feel your problems are not being adequately treated. Your frustration leads you to becoming angry.
“It is clear you are angry and filled with despair, but those feelings make it difficult for those health care professionals trying to help you with limited resources they have been provided with by the state. You push away help unless it’s on your own terms. Sometimes compromise has to be shown.
“You must know, at the age of 54, that becoming angry and losing your temper is counter productive.”
Clarke, of Worsley Court, was jailed for 16 months. He was also made the subject of a criminal behaviour order, banning him from going to the Booths Centre, Woodward Court and Manchester city centre for two years
Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council said: "This is a positive outcome for the wider community given the scale and harm of Clarke's offending. We want all of Manchester's spaces to be safe and accessible for people without fear of intimidation or threat of violence. This is proof of the strong working relationship between the Council and Greater Manchester Police and sends a message that strong action will be taken to tackle crime in Manchester."
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