A high-fiving disqualified driver was left speechless after he was brought back to court and told he would be spending the night in custody after he had just been given chance to go straight.
Leon Adkins, aged 21 and from Bodmin Road, Plymouth, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court on Tuesday for a sentencing hearing after he previously admitted driving while disqualified, which put him in breach of a suspended sentence order made in February this year.
Prosecutor Lewis Aldous told the court that on May 30 police were made aware that Adkins may have committed an offence in a vehicle at a set of traffic lights. Officers found the car parked up in Bodmin Road, in a parking spot and with the car lights on.
Mr Aldous explained that Adkins ran from the vehicle but was arrested the following day. During interview with police he answered 'no comment' to all questions.
Mr Aldous noted that Adkins had 22 convictions for seven offences, which had last seen him sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court on February 19 this year for a series of linked offences including administering a noxious substance - where he had forced a vulnerable young man to snort glass fragments off a car dashboard - false imprisonment, dangerous driving, affray, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of cannabis.
During that hearing the court was told Adkins had effectively kidnapped his victim and driven in a car with a smashed front windscreen, leaving him "pretty much driving blind" and saw him "nearly collide[d] with another car" while driving "extremely fast". He had also threatened his victim's mother, telling her he would firebomb her home.
At the time the sentencing Mr Recorder Levene told Adkins he was "extremely immature" adding that "everything" about the offences committed by Adkins, including the dangerous driving, made him think that - as noted in his pre-sentence and psychiatric reports that there was "something seriously wrong, psychologically or psychiatrically which needs attention".
Mr Recorder Levene handed Adkins a two year jail term, but this was suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) for up to 35 days. He was also disqualified from driving for one year.
On the latest incident, Mr Aldous reminded that court that Adkins, who was accompanied by a number of friends who sat in the public gallery and in the corridor outside the court, had been caught driving a mere three months after the driving ban had been imposed.
In mitigation, Adkins' advocate, Nick Lewin, told the court that the orders had not yet had "opportunity to bite" and noted there were "other minor offences" still being investigated by police. As a result he requested the sentencing was put off for three months to allow the Probation Service to work with Adkins.
Judge Robert Linford told Adkins he would agree to defer the sentence on the sole proviso that he attended every single appointment with the Probation Service and complete all the community elements of the sentence or he would face the suspended sentence being activated in full.
He told Adkins: "This will be the last opportunity you will get".
Adkins then left the court but at the door was caught loudly high-fiving and cheering with those who had accompanied him to court.
Clearly displeased, Judge Linford loudly commanded prisoner custody officers to apprehend Adkins, ordering them to "bring him back."
The officers grabbed Adkins, hauling him back into the room whereupon he was bluntly told by Judge Linford: "You will be remanded into custody overnight. I will sentence you tomorrow". He was led through the door leading to the court cells, clearly in shock at the turn of events.
Appearing at Plymouth Crown Court this morning [Wednesday], Mr Lewin told Judge Linford that his decision to remand him for the night had "caused him an enormous amount of distress" having spent the night at HMP Exeter "which has been a thoroughly unpleasant experience".
Judge Linford said he had received a letter from Adkins this morning. He turned to the young man and reminded him that he had told him yesterday that he was offering to defer his sentence for the breach until December 12, setting "certain expectations" as he had been persuaded by Mr Lewin "that that was the right thing to do".
He said he was still of this view, but noted that Adkins reaction to this "was to go out of this court room and whoop and high five whoever it was outside - that was very far from what the court expected.
"You, Mr Adkins, are going to have to grow up. I've read from your letter, for which I thank you, that you've got a baby... you've got to grow up. You can either grow up with the assistance of the probation service or you'll grow up in prison."
Judge Linford said he will still defer sentence until December 12, but warned Adkins: "Understand this - if you behave at your probation appointments in the same sort of way then as far as I'm concerned that that will not be you complying with the probation service's requirements. If you don't attend every appointment - and I mean every appointment - then you will be in breach of the order and you will get that two year sentence that I promised you yesterday."
