South Tyneside man given jail warning after breaching court order

Jobless Liam Hetherington, 30, of Clovelly Place, Jarrow, walked free from the borough’s magistrates’ court after admitting the offences.

District Judge Zoe Passfield revoked his 12-month order and replaced it with eight weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

Judge Passfield heard he had once previously failed to comply with the order this year, for which he had been fined.

She told Hetherington, who owes over £4,000 in past fines and costs: “You were in court in February this year for breaching this order.

“The court allowed the order to continue but four months later, you’ve breached it again.

“If you breach this order again and come back to court, you will go to prison.”

Hetherington was handed the community order in June last year after admitting a charge of harassment against a woman.

It requires him to undertake 130 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days with the Probation Service.

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, he admitted missing a rehabilitation appointment on Tuesday, May 24, and a work day on Tuesday, June 7.

His solicitor claimed they were partly due to a fall-out which caused his mail to not be forwarded.

Hetherington has completed 99.5 hours of unpaid work and attended seven rehabilitation appointments, it was said.

Alastair Naismith, defending, said: “There’s some issues with accommodation.

“He was living at a Biddick Hall address but there’s been a fallout and letters haven’t been passed on.

“He is willing to comply with the work. He’s now in a position where he thinks he can do what Probation wants.

“He’s now back in a position where he can comply. There are only 30 hours of work remaining.”

Judge Passfield ordered Hetherington to complete a further 40 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation days.

Due to his existing financial debt, she did not impose costs.