Geoffrey Brewer, 53, stood on the wrong side of the railings – sparking a five-hour motorway closure
A racist shouting ‘make Britain great again’ and demanding a full English breakfast caused part of the M42 to close for more than five hours. Geoffrey Brewer climbed over the railings on a bridge near junction five, for Solihull, prompting other motorists to raise the alarm.
But when emergency services arrived he aimed vile racist abuse at them and demanded a fry-up. He did not appear intent on harming himself but paramedics and police became concerned he may fall by accident.
The 53-year-old eventually surrendered. He had undisclosed mental health issues and problems with drugs, Birmingham Crown Court heard. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here
Brewer, from Lindsey Place, Brierley Hill, admitted two counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment as well as causing danger to road users by obstructing the road.
On Tuesday, April 21 he was sentenced to nine months but told he could expect to be released imminently given he had already spent that period of time in custody on remand.
Members of the public became concerned at seeing Brewer on the wrong side of railings on the motorway bridge at around 6am on July 10 last year.
Police attended and tried to persuade him to return to the right side of the barrier but he ‘shouted racial abuse’ at a female officer and did a Nazi salute, said prosecutor Harman Kooner.
Brewer also made a number of crude, sexual remarks and threw a drinks bottle towards her.
Mr Kooner said: “He wasn’t making comments about being suicidal but threatened to jump off the bridge if he didn’t get a full English breakfast and other food, drinks and cigarettes.
“They were concerned primarily that he would fall rather than jump.”
The prosecutor said an ambulance arrived next but Brewer ‘exploded and proceeded to go into a tirade of verbal abuse’.
His comments towards one of the paramedics were similarly racist and vulgar.
Brewer also repeated ‘make Britain great again’ and the Nazi salute, the prosecutor said, adding that he also removed items of clothing because it was ‘extremely hot’.
He was arrested at 11.40am.
Mr Kooner confirmed that the motorway had been closed for more than five hours and ‘thousands of members of the public were impacted’.
Brewer had previously committed 48 offences
Lizzie Banagan, defending, said: “At the time the defendant was homeless.
“He was living a somewhat chaotic lifestyle. Part of the offending was committed, in his words, as a cry for help.
“He was struggling significantly with mental health issues.”
The barrister told the court Brewer had already had a difficult time in custody due to ‘dire’ conditions, including not having a working toilet in his cell.
He had not had any visits from his family as well as limited access to courses and facilities.
Ms Banahan confirmed Brewer had become a grandfather for the first time while in custody and said he was ‘anxious to be released and reunited with his family’.
Recorder Louise MacLynn, passing sentence, told him: “In your pre-sentence report you claim to have no memory of the incident and you refer to possibly inadvertently taking drugs.
“You have no insight into your offending. There is a history of concerns regarding domestic abuse, significant concerns about drug-taking and a lack of clear information in respect of your mental health.”
The judge told Brewer it was ‘likely you will be released immediately’ due to the time he had already served.
She added part of his post sentence supervision would include being referred to dependence and recovery services.
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