New Brighton man jailed after breaching suspended sentence

Brandon Sharples, of Clwyd Crescent in New Brighton, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court on Monday morning.

The 26-year-old had been handed a suspended sentence in February last year - eight months suspended for two years - in respect of supplying cannabis and ketamine.

As part of the sentence, he was ordered to undertake 15 rehabilitation activity days, 35 days of work on an accredited programme and 80 hours of unpaid work.

Within a matter of months, he'd breached the order twice, once in April and once in August - leading to an additional 40 hours of unpaid work being added on.

When he appeared before Caernarfon Crown Court this week, Karl Scholz, prosecuting, told the court the defendant had breached the order yet again by missing two probation appointments.

The first was at the end of October, when he claimed the clocks "went forward" and caught him out.

But Mr Scholz said: "Even that's not right - the clocks went back, so he'd have found himself with an extra hour."

The court heard his subsequent explanation was that he'd been homeless, which Mr Scholz said conflicted with his earlier account.

And in December, he missed another appointment.

Despite the efforts by his probation officer to contact him, he didn't respond and he didn't provide medical evidence for his absence within five days.

Two weeks after the appointment, the defendant's mum sent in an incomplete sick note for him.

Brandon Sharples (NWP) (Image: North Wales Police)Probation officer Karmela Lalek told the court she had not yet met the defendant but would be willing to allow him another chance to attend an appointment.

So far, Sharples has completed 39 of his now 120 hour unpaid work total - which Mr Scholz said put him in a worse position than when he'd first been sentenced in February 2023.

Elen Owen, defending, told the court: "Mr Sharples has suffered for some time with difficulties connected mainly with depression and homelessness.

"In the latter part of last year, he was homeless and had two serious bouts of ill health from covid.

"He was doing his best and things have started coming right for him.

"He's being assisted by an organisation which has secured a job interview and temporary accommodation in New Brighton.

"The organisation should be helping him to find stable, fixed accommodation as well."

But Judge Timothy Petts told Sharples: "You now have four breaches of a suspended sentence imposed less than 12 months ago.

"It would be different if it was just the one breach, but you were warned with the previous breaches.

"Enough is enough - I find it is not unjust to activate the sentence."

The Judge activated six months of the original sentence, giving Sharples some credit for the unpaid work he has completed to date.

It was also said that the defendant had done none of the thinking skills work he had been ordered to do because the necessary preparatory work was not possible due to his non-attendance.