A MAN who got so drunk after sending a money order to his fiancée in Ghana that he was abusive and insulting to a young girl waiting for a taxi in Swindon has been sentenced to an 18-month community order.

John Alan Peter Alice, 57, appeared before the town’s magistrates on Friday and admitted using threatening, abusive, insulting words and behaviour towards the girl.

Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, told the court that the girl had been waiting for a taxi at the main bus station in town at about 8pm on April 27 this year when she heard a man talking to her.

When she refused his request for a cigarette he demanded that she give him one and when she again refused he used foul language, shouted at her and began undoing the belt of his trousers.

She became so scared she called out to a member of the bus station staff . The police were called and Alice was arrested. He swore at officers and was aggressive towards members of the public at the bus station.

Philip Hall, defending, said Alice suffered from psychosis, anxiety and depression as the result of a nasty head injury. Both his parents had died recently and he had suffered one personal blow after another.

Alice, who lives in Coleman’s Close, Calne, had a fiancé in Ghana and had problems getting permission for her to come over and marry him, Mr Hall said.

“She asks him for money and he has to come to Swindon Post Office for the money orders, which was why he was in Swindon that day.

“On his way home he bumped into friends and he accepts he was 10 out of 10 drunk. He went to the bus station to get a bus home and unfortunately his eyes fell on this young girl waiting for a taxi.”

Mr Hall added that Alice had regularly been drinking more than was good for him and he was in need of adult social care.

The magistrates sentenced Alice to an 18-month community order to include 15 days of rehabilitation activity and at least 12 sessions of alcohol treatment.

He was ordered to pay £500 compensation to the victim, fined £300, and subject to an electronic tagged curfew for four weeks between the hours of 5pm and 5am, seven days a week.

He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and £85 victim surcharge.