A MAN from Gwynedd convicted of burglary was spared jail despite breaching the terms of his suspended sentence.

Luke Roberts, 31, of High Street, Deiniolen, was convicted on July 15, 2022 of burglary in a dwelling, for which he was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

The additional requirements of his suspended sentence involved a “thinking skills” programme, 15 months’ drug testing and rehabilitation, a GPS-tagged monitoring period, 20 days’ rehabilitation activity and 200 hours’ unpaid work.

But at Caernarfon Crown Court today (May 30), it was heard that Roberts had failed to comply with the order by failing to connect the GPS device to his electricity supply using the provided charging equipment.

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Roberts, representing himself, accepted the breach, but said it was due to not having the money to pay for electricity at the time.

“We were having trouble with money, which is why we didn’t have electricity that night,” he told the court.

Family health issues, coupled with his own lack of financial means, have meant that he had been “struggling” to make his probation appointments.

He added: “It’s been really hard. I don’t live at home anymore; I live with my partner, who is not well herself.

“I know it is no excuse, but we don’t have a lot of money to travel. It’s been difficult.”

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Roberts had 198 hours’ unpaid work and 15 days’ rehabilitation activity requirement days left to complete.

Presiding over the case, Recorder Wyn Lloyd-Jones added 10 further rehabilitation activity requirement days to Roberts’ order.

The defendant was also granted an extension to the time he has to complete the unpaid work, the deadline for which is now January 14, 2024.

Recorder Lloyd-Jones told Roberts: “I could, in theory, activate it (suspended sentence), (but) I’m not going to.

“It is important that you understand, loud and clear, that if you break this order, I anticipate that, next time, probation will say: ‘We have had enough’.

“You were so lucky to get a suspended sentence for this offence. You have got to comply; no ifs, no buts, no excuses. Otherwise, you stand a very real risk of it being activated.

“Do not play games with anyone, or you’ll suffer, and your partner will suffer, as well.

“I can’t emphasise enough that you are reaching the end of the line, in terms of opportunities.”