A 20-YEAR-OLD was unable to carry out community punishment work because he suffers from insomnia, a court heard yesterday.

Christopher Parker, of Howard Street, Hartlepool, appeared at the town's magistrates' court charged with breaching his community punishment order.

The court heard from probation office Paul Borg that Parker was given the order of 180 hours last May and had only completed 29 hours.

In mitigation, Barry Gray told the court that Mr Parker suffered from excessive insomnia, which involves him sleeping during the day and lying awake at night.

He said: "He does try to get to sleep, finally nodding off at around 6am, 7am or 8am, and then he is no good for anything until he has had a few hours' sleep.

"He told me that if the work could be done on a night he would not be in court.

"You may say it is time to get himself sorted out. He has tried to do this and has taken various vitamins and non-prescription medication. He has tried all the tricks available to him, but he has been unsuccessful."

However, magistrate Dr Peter Relton dismissed the plea.

He told Parker: "The condition you suffer from is bone idleness.

"Your excuse is totally unacceptable and we consider the offence to be serious and can find no medical reason why you cannot just plead guilty."

Parker was issued with a 160-hour community rehabilitation order to add to his other sentence, and was warned that if he did not comply with it, he would be sent to prison.