JERSEY’S courts often remind offenders that community service is not a soft option…
Now one man has learnt this lesson the hard way after being jailed for making minimal effort to comply with his order.
The Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday that Sebastian James John Oliver (23) took a somewhat half-hearted approach to his tasks as he worked on a conservation project at Noirmont as part of his punishment for driving offences. He was said to have used only one hand to pull a rake.
When supervisors complained about his relaxed demeanour, he became abusive, shouting and swearing at them, before they sent him home, the court heard.
He admitted a charge of breaching a community service order and was jailed for two months.
Crown Advocate Chris Baglin, prosecuting, told the court that, on 24 September last year, Oliver had been sentenced to 90 hours of community service for careless driving and failing to stop or report an accident.
He was also fined £1,000 and banned from driving for 12 months.
He had completed 35 hours of his community service when he was set to work at Noirmont on 22 January.
Advocate Baglin said: ‘He was using the rake with one hand and community officers supervising were not satisfied that he was making sufficient effort.’
The court heard that the supervisors warned Oliver twice before summoning him. At that point, he responded: ‘No, you come here.’ Advocate Baglin said he became abusive and was then asked to leave.
Advocate Francesca Pinel, defending, said: ‘Mr Oliver tells me that he had been working hard and properly from the start to the point where he was told to leave.
‘He doesn’t accept that he was warned twice beforehand. He had successfully completed two hours up to that point.
‘He does accept that once he was told he was being removed, he did get angry and swear.’
She added: ‘He knows that there is a real risk of custody, but he is determined to complete the remaining hours of the community service order, should the court allow him.’
However, Magistrate Bridget Shaw said custody could not be avoided.
She told Oliver: ‘When the court issues a community service order, it is serious about it.
‘It is a direct alternative to custody – and it is a ridiculously good deal.
‘You were given that chance and have not taken advantage of it. You haven’t worked as you should have worked.’
She revoked the rest of the community service order and replaced it with the jail sentence.
