Who’s that sleeping in my bed? Drunken man in wrong house
A PARTY-GOER got so drunk on Guinness, champagne and tequila he mistook a neighbour’s home for his own and went to sleep in her bed, a court heard.
Sozzled Paul Taylor was on his way home from a birthday bash when he began banging on the front door of the wrong house.
The person who lived there – an elderly widow with mental health issues – went to find out what was happening and Taylor barged in.
He then staggered to her bedroom and passed out on the bed.
Worried passers-by who had witnessed the commotion called police and officers went to the house in Colchester, Essex, and arrested him. During a police interview Taylor – who had a head injury and bled on the sheets – said he had been out drinking and could not remember what had happened.
The 47-year-old, who had no previous convictions, appeared before Colchester magistrates and admitted criminal damage and common assault.
Evelyn Hicks, mitigating, said: ‘He can only imagine he mistook her house for his. He has not targeted anybody and doesn’t know how he got the injury to his head.
‘In the police station he asked to apologise, send flowers and pay for the damage to the door. He wanted to explain he was not a burglar seeking to raid the home.
‘He is incredibly embarrassed, feels for this woman and wants her to know he did not target her.’
Ms Hicks added: ‘He has not drunk alcohol since this incident because of his behaviour.’
Magistrates handed Taylor 120 hours of unpaid work and a six-month restraining order banning him from contacting the victim.
He must also pay for damage to the door and £500 compensation – a total bill of £1,671.
In a victim personal statement, the woman’s son said the incident in September had caused her ‘mental trauma’.