A burglar who walked free from court on a suspended sentence has been jailed after repeatedly flouting the conditions of his release.
Adam Murphy, 40, from Liverpool, was given a two year suspended sentence in October 2022 for offences including burglary and cannabis possession, was given a three-month curfew, and was told to undergo 20 rehabilitation days and six months of drug testing and rehabilitation requirements.
However, he violated his curfew twice and failed to attend several appointments for alcohol treatment, which led to him being discharged from the programme.
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He was given a "final chance" by the court in December 2022 - but on March 5 2023 he was seen wandering on Dale Street, where he was not supposed to go, by a police officer, who stopped him as he was visibly drunk and had a wound on his face. He told the officer he had injured himself falling over, then admitted he was banned from the area.
Mr Watson, defending Murphy at Liverpool Crown Court today, March 13, said his client had found himself on Dale Street by accident after taking the wrong bus, and he was heading back to the YMCA where he lived.
He said: "I have asked the staff at the YMCA specifically about his behaviour and they have indicated to me that he has been behaving himself and, by his standards, he is living a less chaotic life than he was doing. As far as the alcohol treatment is concerned, it's been indicated that there would be a future referral."
He asked the judge, David Potter, to consider suspending Murphy's sentence a second time, however this was denied.
Judge Potter said: "In October, the court gave you a chance in sending you to prison, but with that sentence being suspended for a period of two years, with various conditions. During the course of 2022 you failed to comply with the terms of that suspended sentence and so it was you appeared before the crown court.
"It was clear that you were struggling to comply with the terms of the order, but in the light of a long standing addiction to alcohol the court was prepared to give you a final chance, but that chance was on the basis that you complied with all the terms of the order and remained offence-free.
"Sadly I have not been persuaded that you have committed yourself at all to the treatment requirement and that has led you to drink to excess and as a result you have strayed into the area from which you are excluded. I can't delay this case any further and you have had all of your chances."
Murphy was sentenced to nine months in prison for the breach of his suspended sentence and one month for the breach of an order, to run concurrently.
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