A MAN has been sent to jail for his unacceptable behaviour when working with probation officers.

Mark Pownall, of Celyn Crescent, in Saltney appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday.

The 34-year-old had denied breaching a suspended sentence order, by failing to cooperate and acting in abusive manner towards probation staff.

His suspended term of imprisonment was imposed in August 2021 for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Karl Scholz, prosecuting, called probation officer Elain Owen to share her account of an incident on May 13 this year, in which Pownall's probation worker Paula Thomas had called a meeting with the defendant and her.

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In the meeting, the three were joined by phone by a member of Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, raising concerns about him putting his mother's "tenancy at jeopardy."

Ms Owen said the defendant became "animated," and at times "aggressive."

When he was told he could leave, he "flung" open the door to the interview room, with it hitting  the chair Ms Owen was sat in.

She told the court he looked back at her and said: "what?"

He was asked to be mindful of his surroundings, before he returned to demonstrate what he'd done, knocking the chair again.

Henry Hills, defending, suggested Ms Owen had "foisted" the meeting about the housing on the defendant without prior warning and that he'd been upset by it.

When he was called on to give his side of the story, Pownall claimed the matter had been "sprung" on him, and he was taken aback.

He told the court he was "very upset" but he did his best to remain composed and not appear aggressive.

Judge Nicola Saffman found the breach of the suspended sentence to have been proven, and opted to activate part of the defendant's suspended sentence - sending him to jail for 20 weeks.

 

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