Homeless Hereford man banned from Hereford Tesco and M&S

Michael Croke entered guilty pleas to two counts of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress, and one count of using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence when he appeared before magistrates in January.

The court heard from prosecutor Owen Beale that Croke, who was represented at the hearing by defence solicitor Ed Middleton, had used threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour within the sight or hearing of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm, or distress in Hereford on January 21 and January 23.

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The 58-year-old had also used threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause that person to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used against them or to provoke the immediate use of unlawful violence in Hereford on January 17, magistrates in Kidderminster heard.

The case was adjourned for a pre-sentencing report to be carried out by the probation service and Croke, who is of no fixed address, was released on bail with conditions not to contact a woman, not to enter any Hereford Tesco shop, and not to enter Hereford's M&S supermarket.

He will appear before magistrates in Hereford for sentencing on February 14.