A HOMELESS woman has been fined for breaching the terms of a criminal behaviour order in Wrexham.

Ceri Gale initially denied the breach before later admitting she had asked people at a town centre cafe if she could use their phones, something she was barred from doing under the terms of the order.

Wyn Jones, prosecuting, told Magistrates Court that Gale had been in the Vasco Da Gama cafe on Lord Street on October 14, where staff had allowed her to spend five minutes to charge her own phone. After growing impatient at the time this process was taking, Gale began asking customers in the cafe if she could use theirs, which she is prohibited from doing under the terms of an order dating back to March 2015.

Stephen Edwards, defending, told the court this was a particularly sad case but had the potential to end positively, due to the help Gale was receiving from the Wrexham Homelessness Project. Mr Edwards said the project was making a big difference to Gale’s life and on the day in question, Gale had grown impatient due to the fact she really needed to contact her son.

Mr Edwards produced a letter of support from Wrexham MP Ian Lucas, who was supporting Gale’s case for both her and her son to be given a property and referred to an incident when the politician’s wife Norah had witnessed Gale being harassed by members of the public, who had gathered around her.

Mr Edwards said: “It is most unusual to be able to call on the mitigation provided by a current serving member of our parliament.

“This really demonstrates how exceptional this case is and I really hope Ceri can go on to be the first real success story for the Wrexham Homelessness Project.”

Gale was ordered to pay fines totalling £80, prosecution costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £32.