A drug dealer who was previously spared prison over a brawl which saw a granddad stabbed in the back said "nice one mate" to a judge as he was finally locked up.
Jack Nolan had already walked free from Liverpool Crown Court three times this year, but failed to attend unpaid work sessions and appointments with the probation service as part of his suspended sentences after he was stabbed himself - leaving him housebound and heavily reliant on ketamine. He begged for one final chance in court today, Monday, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
His first close call came in January. On that occasion, the court heard that the now 20-year-old and co-defendant Charles George went to an address on Glover Place in Bootle to confront another teen on May 10 2021.
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Their intended victim was not home though, and the two yobs instead fought with his family. The boy's grandad was knifed in the back during the shocking incident, which was caught on CCTV, while his uncle was stabbed in the arm.
But it could not be established which of the cousins had inflicted these injuries. As a result, then 19-year-old Nolan and George, 18, both received suspended prison sentences after admitting affray.
However, the former - previously of Cricklade Close in Bootle, but now of no fixed address - was soon back in the courtroom for dealing class A drugs. In April, he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and obstructing a police officer in relation to an incident on May 8 last year - two days before the stabbing
But neither of those offences put him in breach of his suspended sentence as they predated it. Nolan was instead given a two-year imprisonment suspended for two years, as well being told to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
Despite this, he was back in court once more the following month for breaching the order. On that occasion, Judge Anil Murray told him he was "incredibly lucky not to be in prison" as he handed him further community service.
Nolan was arrested again last week, having been out of contact with probation since August. He has so far completed only one hour of his unpaid work, that being an induction session, and three RAR days.
The thug previously received a youth referral order in August 2019 for possessing a bladed article in a public place, a conditional discharge in December 2020 for possession of ketamine, an 18-month community order in February 2021 for possession of cannabis with intent to supply and assaulting an emergency worker and another community order in March 2021 for handling stolen goods. Andrew McInnes, defending, told the court this morning that his client had been the victim of a stabbing earlier this year.
This led to mental health problems, which left him struggling to leave the house and "self-medicating with ketamine". Nolan admitted two counts of breaching a suspended sentence order.
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Conley said: "It's quite disappointing really. You were given a number of opportunities earlier this year in the face of quite serious offences.
"Although the authorities have bent over backwards to avoid sending you to custody, you are either not willing or not ready to take advantage of the help on offer. I don't think you have the maturity or the stability in your life to comply with a tough non-custodial sentence."
Nolan interrupted at this stage to plead "can you not just give me one more chance?". But Recorder Conley continued: "When you come out, you have got a clean slate.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to do these months. Hopefully when you are out, you will be older and wiser and you will stay away from drugs."
After being jailed for 18 months, Nolan replied "nice one mate" as he was led down to the cells.
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