Sunderland man owes courts almost £5,000 from past criminality

Jamie Rafter, 33, was ordered to pay that much in costs to the Probation Service which prosecuted him for failing to work with its officers on his rehabilitation.

Rafter, who gave his address as Galashiels Road, Grindon, despite being street homeless, was sentenced to a community order on Tuesday, July 1, for 10 admitted thefts.

The 18-month order included 20 rehabilitation days, in which he must work with the Probation Service in a bid to stop his offending.

But he failed to attend his induction day on Tuesday, July 8 – leaving him to face an allegation he had breached the order without good reason.

He appeared in the dock at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 10, to admit the breach.

The Probation Service told the hearing Rafter leads “a particularly chaotic lifestyle” and had been arrested after a warrant was issued.

It said his offender manager wanted the community order to carry on so Rafter may still benefit from rehabilitation help.

The court heard he has two fine accounts owing to the court – one of £4,019 and the other of £697.

Alastair Naismith, defending, told magistrates: “You can perhaps see that Mr Rafter is not a well man.

“He is street homeless, and the address given is his mum’s and where he can get his post.

“He has been living a chaotic life, but he says that he will attend his appointments. There is still time to run on the order, it is an 18-month order.”

Magistrates told Rafter they acknowledged it was his first breach and they wished to see him turn the order into a success.

Imposing an extra five rehabilitation days, Sharon Gould, chair of the bench, said: “You’ve got a second chance here to work with the Probation Service.

“It’s in your interests to work with them, but you have to help yourself as well.

“There will be further consequences if you breach again – you could end up with a custodial sentence and no one wants that.”