Judge offers man who caused £19k of damage to York Minster a second chance if he can keep four promises

Joshua Webster, 31, claimed he does not remember causing the damage but he intended to end his own life when he got drunk and scaled some scaffolding to get onto the cathedral, at around 10.30pm on November 23 last year.

York Crown Court heard he damaged the spire and kicked pieces of stone off the roof.

Firefighters used an extended ladder to bring him to safety, after a police negotiator and his brother spent around four hours talking to him.

His Honour Judge Sean Morris was due to sentence the father-of-two, who has pleaded guilty to criminal damage, at a hearing today but said there was “a constructive way forward”.

The judge told Webster he will be given a suspended prison sentence at a hearing in six months, if he attends all of his appointments with mental health professionals, does not get arrested and remains sober.

He was also ordered to personally apologise to Reverend Canon Michael Smith, who is the acting dean of York Minster, for his “disgraceful behaviour” and offer to volunteer.

The judge said Webster, who has previous convictions for criminal damage and robbery, has already served a three-year prison sentence for another offence but that “didn’t seem to work”.

“It seems there is a constructive way forward that may break this cycle and help to reduce if not eradicate your problems,” he added.

“They will never go away, you understand that? You have this for life. It’s a matter of controlling it. The courts will not tolerate behaviour of this sort if it keeps on going.”

The defendant has been ordered to appear at York Crown Court on April 14, when he will be sentenced.

“I keep my promises,” the judge said. “If you keep yours, you keep your liberty. If you don’t keep yours, then you’ll lose it.

“Next time, and there will be a time when you are feeling overwhelmed, sit down, talk to somebody – talk to your family – do not act on impulse. Don’t you dare commit a criminal offence.

“If you do, I will lose patience with you.”

Eddison Flint, who represents Webster, said his client is “truly sorry” for causing so much damage to “a notable piece of York history” and feels “great shame”,

But he also said Webster suffers with severe mental health issues and was in “a state of complete and utter emotional turmoil” when he climbed the cathedral.

He said Webster was suicidal and he would have ended his own life if his brother had not arrived on the scene and helped to talk him down.

“This is a young man who has an awful lot of demons he is trying to manage on a daily basis,” he told the court.

He then told the court that Webster’s “cry for help is being answered” and he is now regularly attending appointments for his mental health issues because he recieved a diagnosis after his arrest.

"The diagnosis has opened up the psychiatric services. All of a sudden, he’s now getting appointments and is now getting the intervention he’s been desperate for, for all these years,” Mr Flint added.