Probation Is Supposed To Work For Us, Right?

Not for the criminal?

A man from Ammanford has been spared being thrown behind bars after an impassioned court-room plea from his probation officer.

Oh, this’ll be good!

Joshua Levi Ellicott, 22, faced prison after failing to turn up for his community service, a punishment for a previous crime.

But at a hearing in Ammanford last Thursday, probation officer Keith Cuthell asked magistrates not to send the young man down.

"I have known him for more years than I care to remember," Mr Cuthell told Ammanford Magistrates' Court, where Ellicott admitted breaching his community order.

Known him in a personal capacity, or a probationary one?

If the former, then surely there’s a conflict of interest here; if the latter, then he must be a ‘frequent flyer’ undeserving of a non-custodial?

"I would not like to see him go into custody but that's your decision.

He has never shirked his responsibilities before and is always looking for work."

Always looking, but never actually finding..?

"He is a very likeable young man and now he just needs to step up to the plate — once he gets his unpaid work done that's it, finished."

Until he comes back…

So, what’s his excuse?

The court heard the defendant missed a session of unpaid work because he had been kicked out of his family home and was sleeping at various friends' houses.

His defence solicitor, David Elvey, said: "When he was down and out in this period he thought he might be better off in prison, but he realises this is not the case now."

Only one session?

Magistrates gave him an extra 30 hours unpaid work on top of the 137 he had not completed.

That’s some session!