A man of no fixed abode, who admitted this morning in Magistrates’ Court to trespassing, was released from custody.

Keith Peniston, 57, pleaded guilty to trespassing at the Hamilton Health Clinic on December 10.

He also admitted disobeying a written notice forbidding him from doing so.

Peniston has several previous convictions for trespassing.

He was arrested by police on December 10 and had been in custody since.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo said that Peniston had served his time and released him.

“We will have to find another way to deal with this. This is a social problem, not a legal problem,” said Mr Tokunbo.

He added: “If we keep fining him, sending him back to prison, he’ll think there’s something wrong with us. And he still won’t pay the fines.”