A thug who broke a friend’s jaw while celebrating his son’s Christening party and then failed to carry out unpaid work has been jailed.
Joshua Little, of Waverley Road, Baxenden, was convicted in September last year of inflicting grievous bodily harm and sentenced to six-months in jail, suspended for 12 months with 100 hours’ unpaid work.
However, he was hauled back to Burnley Crown Court this week after failing to keep in contact with the Probation Service and doing no unpaid work for nearly five months.
He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the requirements of a suspended sentence order and was jailed for four months.
The Observer revealed last year how the father-of-two, who had light infantry training with the military when he was 16, was with family and friends at the Sydney Street Working Men’s Club in Accrington when he punched a party guest in the face fracturing his lower jaw.
Little, 23, and formerly of Lodge Street in Accrington, later apologised to through Facebook to the victim who needed surgery twice to have bars and plates inserted.
Claire Larton, prosecuting, told the breach of order hearing this week how Little had ‘gotten off to a reasonable start’ with the unpaid work and had completed 66 hours.
However the court heard how the car mechanic then failed to keep in contact with the probation service from November to the start of March and missed 18 of 26 appointments.
Anthony Parkinson, defending, told the court how he had got into significant debt’ as a result of finance purchases and started working longer hours before getting a job in Liverpool late last year.
Mr Parkinson said he has now returned to Hyndburn to work with his dad and urged the court to continue the suspended sentence with extra unpaid work hours.
However Judge Beverly Lunt said he had ‘not done what he was supposed to do’ and activated the suspended sentence.
She said: “You just ceased contact with the Probation Service entirely from November until the beginning of March.
“That’s not acceptable and the only point of suspended sentences is people must understand if they breach them they will go to custody.
“I bear in mind the number of hours you’ve done but I’m activating the sentence.”
