Fraudster’s failure to comply with court order was ‘wilful and persistent’

Simon Stafford, 46, was instead handed a 10-week prison term, suspended for 12 months, by magistrates in South Tyneside.

They told Stafford, of Compton Court, Oxclose, they were taking an “exceptional” course in allowing him to keep his liberty.

He was sentenced to the order in September 2019 after pleading guilty to two charges of fraud by false representation and one of theft.

The court heard he used a bank card twice on October 11, 2018, taking amounts of £28 and £18, and stole a bank card.

As punishment, the factory worker was given an 18-month community order.

It came with requirements he complete 20 sessions of the Thinking Skills programme, 50 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days.

But he had failed to engage with almost all of the order, despite repeated attempts by the Probation Service to support him to comply.

Appearing in the dock after his arrest on a warrant, Stafford was described as “intelligent” by John Lee, chair of the bench.

But Mr Lee told him it was not unusual for imprisonment to follow such a deliberate order breach.

Revoking the community order and imposing the suspended prison sentence, he said: “This was wilful and persistent non-compliance.

“We are persuaded, because of the time elapsed between the offences and you being in court, that there has been a degree of rehabilitation.”

Stafford pleaded guilty to breaching his community order.

His arrest warrant was activated after he failed to attend court in June last year on the breach charge.