Newbury man was so drunk he couldn't remember his name

Clare Barclay, prosecuting, said that 21-year-old Charles Nel, of Elizabeth Avenue, Newbury, became confrontational when approached by police after being ejected from the Diamond Tap in the early hours of September 14.
He was so inebriated, the court heard, that when police tried to issue him with a section 27 order – to remove him from the area for up to 48 hours – he could not identify himself.
Defending, Alun Morgan said that Mr Nel had been drinking with friends at the Newbury Real Ale Festival the previous day.
“It is fair to say he was ejected from the pub at some stage, and the effects of the fresh air had such an effect that he cannot remember anything. He has gone through some personal difficulties over the last 12 to 18 months and uses alcohol as a coping mechanism.
"He was arrested at 3.30am and not charged until 1.30pm, so in some respects he has been punished enough.”
The court heard that Mr Nel had a previous conviction for being drunk and disorderly in 2011. He admitted being drunk and disorderly in a public place on September 14 this year.
Magistrates made him subject to a six-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay costs of £45 and a statutory charge of £15.