Prison for offender who rejected CSO (From Gazette Series)

Prison for offender who rejected CSO

A DURSLEY man who asked to be sent to jail rather than complete a community rehabilitation order has been sentenced to four months imprisonment.

Roland Anthony Simpson, 34, of Rangers Avenue, Highfields, Dursley, appeared before South Gloucestershire Magistrates at Stroud last Friday.

He was charged with three counts of failing to attend his community service sessions and a further count of failing to produce evidence as to why he had missed those sessions.

Members of the Probation Service told the court that Mr Simpson was sentenced to 200 hours of community service in January in relation to a charge of driving whilst disqualified on October 1 last year.

The sentence was to run concurrently with another offence of theft from a shop. However, after initially attending his community service, Mr Simpson did not turn up when required on February 26, May 21 and May 28 this year.

He then failed to provide evidence of the reasons for his absence.

Simpson pleaded guilty to the four charges and his solicitor explained that he would rather go to jail.

Michael Smith, defending, said: "He is unwilling to comply with his community punishment order and is willing to accept a custodial sentence.

"Mr Simpson recognises that by going into custody he can address his addiction to drugs.

"He is taking it upon himself to say that he does not want to go down the road of being on drugs."

Mr Smith admitted that custody should only be used as a last resort but insisted that it was the best option for his client.

The offences of breaching the community rehabilitation order, driving whilst disqualified, theft from a shop, possession of a Class A drug and possession of a Class C drug were all taken into account by magistrates when sentencing.

After a short discussion they told Mr Simpson that he would go to jail for four months.

On hearing his sentence, Mr Simpson gave a thumbs up sign.