Homeless man in Coalville tent who failed to attend Leicester Crown Court is to be arrested

Magistrates ordered the arrest of a homeless man who could not afford to attend court for his sentencing hearing. Levi Smith lives in a tent on the outskirts of Coalville, Leicester Magistrates’ Court heard on Wednesday.

At an earlier hearing, he pleaded guilty to a number of charges earlier this month, as well as a theft offense in Lincolnshire. At the previous hearing, Smith, 32, admitted four charges of assaulting police officers, one count of criminal damage to a police cell, using threatening behavior with intent to cause fear of violence and possessing 15 anxiety medication tablets Pregabalin.

All of these offenses took place in Leicester on Friday, April 12, and the Lincolnshire offense he had also admitted was for stealing £12.85 worth of Ariel washing-up liquid from a shop in Boston in January this year. Raza Sakhi, representing Smith, told the court his client had failed to make it to Leicester for the sentencing hearing.

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He said: “He lives on the outskirts of Coalville in a tent. He has no money and no means to get here.”

Mr Sakhi asked the magistrates not to issue an arrest warrant for his client but to adjourn the case for a week. He said, “His mother is paid in two days and will afford to get here.”

But prosecutor Ryan Houghton told magistrates it was not the first time Smith had failed to turn up for a court hearing. He said that after being charged with the crime in Boston, Smith missed a hearing in early March in Boston.

Smith then handed himself in at a police station and attended a hearing at Leicester Magistrates’ Court where he admitted all offences. But the court heard that Smith then failed to attend an appointment with the probation service, attending a later date via videolink.

Susan Halcroft, president of the bank, said: “The bank will issue a warrant that is not supported for bail. There is no guarantee that he will participate on the next occasion.

“His presence is sporadic. It should be here and it’s not.”

A non-bailable warrant means that after being arrested by Leicestershire Police, Smith will be held in custody and brought straight to court, rather than being released on bail.