Nightmare neighbour played gangsta rap and caused mayhem in seaside town
Shaun Harper behaved in 'demented' drunken way as he staggered around Seaton
Paul Greaves
Updated 13:29, 1 OCT 2018
Shaun Harper
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A nightmare neighbour caused mayhem in a seaside town by playing gangsta rap at full blast and staggering around drunk in the street.
Shaun Harper, 48, also sexually propositioned a hotel receptionist and bothered guests enjoying their breakfast at the Premier Inn in Seaton.
After nearly getting run over by a car in the street Harper put his hands together in the shape of a gun and spouted racially offensive words at a puzzled driver.
He was jailed for eight months at Exeter Crown Court after the judge heard Harper had breached every court order he'd ever been given and had only been out of prison for a week.
The defendant, of Harbour Road, admitted breaching the terms of his criminal behaviour order.
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Prosecutor Ms Felicity Payne said the incident happened on August 30.
Neighbours called police to complain about loud and lyrically explicit rap music coming from the defendant's flat at 10am.
Before officers got there Harper wandered over to the nearby Premier Inn and engaged in a sexually suggestive conversation with the receptionist which ended with him telling her to 'f**k off'.
He then started pestering guests, including children, who were having their breakfasts and asking them to give him a coffee.
One of the guests then escorted him out. His behaviour was so worrying that a member of staff had a panic attack.
Once he was outside Harper almost got himself knocked down by a passing car.
When the driver wound his window down to ask him if he was okay a clearly drunk and 'wild eyed' Harper put his hands together like a gun and said '20mph n***a'.
Ms Payne said this was bizarre considering 'that man not being of any black persuasion'.
Police arrested Harper soon after at his home.
The defendant has 64 previous offences to his name stretching back two decades. They included offences of violence, stalking and more recently anti-social behaviour.
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He was given a criminal behaviour order in February 2017 banning him from drinking in public and playing loud music. He has already breached that order four times. He had been released from prison just seven days before his latest breach.
Mr Warren Robinson, defending, said drink was the root cause of his problem. He said Harper knew he had breached his order and was trying to tackle his alcohol problem. The defendant's 81-year-old mother was in court to hear the latest sentence and wrote a letter to the judge in support of her son.
Premier Inn Seaton
Judge Timothy Rose said it was about time Harper grew up and started to take his responsibilities seriously.
"Your behaviour is not only disturbing to members of the public but is also distressing and harming people who care about you. You are behaving as if you are about a quarter of the age you really are. You're 48, you're a mature man with an opportunity to reflect on your behaviour."
He said Harper had acted in a 'pretty demented way'.
"You need to take the help that's out there," he added.
"Until such time as you do you're causing mayhem in the community. You've breached just about every court order you've been given and it's like a revolving door for you."
Harper was jailed for eight months.
"I'm so sorry," he said as he was led away to the cells.
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