War memorial urinating man John Rocky Ayres jailed

A man who urinated on a war memorial plaque and scratched obscene words on to a pavement in South Gloucestershire has been jailed.

John Rocky Ayres, 34, was charged with desecrating the World War I monument in Mangotsfield on 26 April.

Ayres, of no fixed abode, denied urinating on the memorial, North Avon Magistrates' Court was told.

Jailing him for 11 weeks, magistrates said his behaviour was "so serious" only custody was appropriate.

The court also imposed an anti-social behaviour order on him for a period of two years.

Ayres originally pleaded not guilty to the charge of outraging public decency, but changed his plea, accepting he had scratched the words on the pavement.

Magistrates were told that Ayres, who had been drinking heavily at the time and having problems with his family, was spotted by a passer-by who was outraged by what she saw.

Susan Hibbard told the court she had been driving past the memorial when she had seen a "stream of urine" coming from Ayres in the direction of the plaque.

Ayres claimed Ms Hibbard had been mistaken and he "wholeheartedly" denied urinating on the war memorial.

He claimed he had been merely trying to adjust the two pairs of trousers he was wearing at the time.

Jailing Ayres, chair of the bench Patricia Manning said: "You showed a complete disregard for the local residents and for what the war memorial stands for in the local community."