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Produced by the Sentencing Academy

Drunk and Disorderly in Public

Snapshot 8

Bringing together relevant information, research findings and statistics relating to sentencing.

by Annalena Wolcke

Published: 1 Aug 2025
Last updated: Aug 2025

Overview

  • Sentencing Council guideline range: conditional discharge to a Band C fine1
  • Maximum sentence: Level 3 fine
  • Convictions fell since 2015 and have been relatively stable since 2020, with an average annual conviction rate of around 4,600
  • This snapshot summarises key trends over the past 5 years

Sentences Imposed

Figure 1: Sentences for being Drunk and Disorderly, 2020-2024

  • Over 65% of convictions resulted in a fine.2
  • A further 26% resulted in a conditional discharge.3

Figure 2: Sentences Imposed for being Drunk and Disorderly, 2020-2024

  • Trends in the use of principal sanctions for being drunk and disorderly have been relatively stable over the last 5 years.

Sentencing Outcomes by Sex

Figure 3: Sentencing Outcomes by Sex, Being Drunk and Disorderly, 2020-2024

  • Female (n=3,779); Male (n=18,925)
  • Between 2020-2024, men had a slightly higher rate of receiving fines (67%) than women (61%).

These rates do not account for various factors that influence sentencing decisions, such as the offender’s criminal history and the seriousness of the specific offence. Additional research would be needed to determine whether gender affected the sentence imposed.

This Snapshot is one of a series on sentencing trends in England & Wales. Others can be found here. For further information, contact Annalena Wolcke at a.wolcke@sentencingacademy.org.uk

  1. Official offence name: Drunkenness, with aggravation – disorderly in public ↩︎
  2. Data source for all figures: Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly December 2024, published 15th of May 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2024 ↩︎
  3. ‘Other sanctions’ include: suspended sentence order, absolute discharge, community sentence, compensation, and the category ‘otherwise dealt with’ ↩︎