Magistrates discount solicitor's pleas

3:51pm Friday 4th July 2008

Despite impassioned pleas from his solicitor and himself to set him free to accept the offer of a job, magistrates at Haverfordwest jailed a 22-year-old Monkton man yesterday (Thursday).

Michael Lloyd Jenkins McNamara of 27, Monkton, Pembroke, appeared for breach of a suspended sentence imposed for breaches of probation.

His solicitor, Jonathan Webb, asked for a three week adjournment to give McNamara an opportunity to accept the offer of an apprenticeship with a local engineering firm to train as a fitter, welder, general labourer and all round tradesman.

He acknowledged that McNamara had a poor record with many failures to keep appointments with the probation service, but said it was not due to drink and drugs as had been suggested but to fundamental mental issues.

He was receiving a great deal of medication for anxiety, depression and paranoia and a recent reduction in his medication had caused him to act strangely, living on the beach and in a wood. The offered job could change his life.

Mcnamara told the magistrates: "I have had no self-worth for a long time. I know I have messed up but if you give me three weeks I can change. I have never been given an opportunity to work like this in my life. If I go to prison that chance is gone and I'll never get it again."

The magistrates told him that non-compliance with a sentence which resulted from earlier breaches was a serious matter. Activating ta four month suspended sentence, they said he would have a clean sheet when he was released and could then seek work.