A man given a suspended prison sentence for attacking his partner and her father at their family home, is now behind bars, having wasted the opportunity offered by a judge.

Josh Peter Orr received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Durham Crown Court in August for affray and assaulting an emergency worker.

The court heard the affray covered his behaviour following a night out with his partner and her father on April 15 this year.

On their return by bus, Orr decided to go and try to buy some cannabis but told his partner he was “sick of her”, so she left and went home, her father having done so earlier.

But Orr turned up at their home later, punching the door and window, and proceeding to attack his partner and her father in front of her screaming six-month-old child.

Read more: Jailing of man for prolonged attack among cases sentenced at Durham Crown Court in recent days

His partner was briefly knocked unconscious, and when confronted and detained by police, Orr tried to head butt an officer.

Despite his initial claim of self-defence he went on to give acceptable pleas, for which he received the suspended sentence, but with ancillary orders of completing 180-hours’ unpaid work and 20-rehabilitation activity days overseen by the Probation Service.

Orr was also ordered to undergo a building better relationships course as part of the sentence, which included a restraining order, forbidding contact with either his partner and her father, or from going to their home, for the next five years.

But the 28-year-old defendant, of Rose Avenue, Stanley, appeared back before the court, for breaching the suspended sentence order.

He admitted failing to comply with the unpaid worker order, for two specific breaches on the unpaid work element, in September and October, and a separate account covering the rehabilitation activity sessions, over a missed appointment also in October.

Caroline McGurk, prosecuting, said they were among a number of unacceptable absences from both unpaid work and the rehabilitation activity programme while he had failed to attend any of the building better relationship course sessions.

The court heard he also acted angrily and aggressively at a probation office when he learned breach proceedings were pending.

Read more: Six people jailed in cases at Durham Crown Court this week

Mark Styles, for Orr, told the court: “I have explained the gravity of the situation to him.”

Mr Styles said the defendant has “struggled” with personal issues and has tried to get assistance from his GP.

“There was some compliance with the order, but he has really struggled.”

Activating the 12-month suspended sentence, Judge James Adkin told Orr: “I was the sentencing judge on August 1 and passed the suspended sentence order.

“I was giving you a chance and I’m absolutely convinced I would have made it crystal clear if you breached the community order in any way you would receive a prison sentence.

“I’m afraid people who threaten probation officers also go to prison.

“It seems to me it’s demonstrative of an individual who is not prepared to comply with the order.

“Whatever your personal problems you should not behave like this.”

To mark the fact that there was some “low-level” compliance with the order, Judge Adkin reduced the sentence by one month.

Read next:

                Four County Durham criminals hauled before Durham Crown Court last week

                County Durham man convicted of child rapes sentenced as 'offender of concern'

                Sherwoods Motor Group's former finance director given suspended sentence for fraud

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