A 21-YEAR-OLD man who completed only a fraction of a 70-hour community service order for a drugs offence has had an extra 20 hours added to his sentence.
The Magistrate’s Court handed down the order to Alfie Jack Atterbury on 16 February after he attempted to import cannabis into the Island. The court was told that since then he had only attended two five-hour sessions – leaving 60 hours of community service still to do.
Crown Advocate Katie Ridley, prosecuting, said Atterbury had also breached the order on 25 May, after being convicted of possessing cannabis.
He had also been made the subject of a probation order but had failed to turn up for three appointments, the court heard.
Advocate Nicholas Mière, defending, described Atterbury as “a good worker who had made some very foolish errors in terms of his drug use” and explained that he was currently looking for a job.
He had been ill for several of the community service sessions he missed and produced medical certificates for some of them, but claimed he had been unable to inform the relevant people that he would be absent in advance because his mobile phone was broken.
He admitted breaching the community service order.
The Magistrate, Bridget Shaw, said: “A mobile phone is not the only means of communication. This is a very poor record of complying and a very lame excuse. I just don’t accept that there were no alternatives.”
She said prison was the usual punishment for those who failed to comply with community service orders, but noted that Atterbury was 20 at the time of the breaches and told him: “To be generous, I think it’s immaturity.”
Extending the order by 20 hours, she told him: “I will give you one final chance. No future chances will be given.”
