Telford man, 30, jailed after breaching orders

David Hayfield, 30, of Culmington, Stirchley, had previously been handed a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years, for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

It related to an attack in which he dragged a woman down a flight of stairs and stamped on her after she attempted to intervene in a row at a house party.

He had breached his order three times, with the probation service describing his attitude as poor and his length of sentence was extended to allow him to complete outstanding unpaid work.

Recorder Stephen Thomas said Hayfield had a ‘cavalier attitude’ to his sentence and requirements, and said he had no option but to activate his suspended sentence.

Prosecutor Edwards Soulsby told the court how the probation service had said Hayfield’s attitude was poor, and he had outstanding hours left to complete on his unpaid work.

Debra White, for Hayfield, said that on the face of it his third breach didn’t look good, but there were some reasons behind it.

She said he had 47-and-a-half hours left, and urged the judge to allow him to complete seven-and-a-half hours a day next week to significantly reduce what is left to complete.

She added her client knows he has put himself in a difficult position and understands the situation.

However, she told the judge how her client had gained employment as a landscape gardener and could sometimes be working up to seven days a week. She urged the judge to give her client another chance, but asked that in the event the sentence was activated could he keep the jail term to a minimum.

Recorder Thomas said Hayfield had broken the sentence three times, and at one point didn’t turn up for an appointment because his partner was running in a race.

He said: “Suspended sentences have to be activated or people will treat them with contempt.”

He activated the suspended sentence, but reduced the jail term from 20 months to 10 months.