Grimsby man Colin Osborne facing assault charge

NOTORIOUS Grimsby man Colin Osborne is due to face trial next week on charges of assault and breaching his anti-social behaviour order.

He appeared before Grimsby Magistrates' Court yesterday via a video link from Hull Prison, where he is currently remanded in custody.

Colin Osborne: Appeared before Grimsby Magistrates' Court via a video link from Hull Prison.

Osborne, 61, who gave his address as care of the Guildford Street home of his daughter, denies assaulting James Gornall-Wright, in Cleethorpes, on May 31.

He also denies breaching his asbo that day by using abusive language and behaviour in the street. One of the terms of his asbo, imposed at the same court on December 16, bans him from doing this.

The cases were adjourned until February 9 for a trial to be held.

Deputy district judge Helen Cousins further remanded Osborne in custody after defence solicitor Geoff Ellis made no bail application.

Osborne is known by the nickname of "Ozzey" and is well-known in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes areas.

He told the court that he understood that Mr Ellis could not make any further applications for bail because previous opportunities to do so had already been used. Osborne has previously admitted another charge of breaching his asbo on January 7 in Cleethorpes.

He entered Seaview Street, which forms part of an exclusion zone from which he is banned under the terms of the asbo.

Osborne has also admitted behaving in a disorderly, indecent or offensive manner on the railway at Grimsby, on May 13. The charge was brought under railway byelaws.

He also admitted three offences of failing to surrender to bail on June 2, June 8 and September 22.

He denies another charge of being drunk and disorderly in Brewery Street, Grimsby, on April 14.

No trial date was fixed for this charge after the deputy district judge ruled that it would be a "waste of time" to do so in view of the large number of other matters Osborne faced, including some guilty pleas.

As he left the prison room where the video link took place, Osborne shouted to his solicitor: "Can you make sure I get all the drugs I am entitled to from the hospital? I have had nothing."