A MAN is to spend the next few weeks in jail in the hope that when he is released, accommodation can be found for him.
Daniel Spencer, presently an inmate at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham but otherwise of no fixed abode, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court via video link on Thursday morning.
The 36-year-old was in for an alleged breach of a suspended sentence - but was unrepresented.
His custodial sentence of six months had been imposed in April this year but suspended for 12 months.
Spencer, formerly of Bangor, launched into a lengthy explanation of the circumstances, in that he had apparently missed a mandatory probation appointment.
He said: "She (his probation officer) asked me to go to the police station.
"But due to me not having my meds, I started getting paranoid.
"All my radars were going off and I thought I'm not going to the police station - swerve that.
"My head fell off, like. Then I handed myself in and I am sat in front of you today."
After he finished his explanation, Judge Jones said: "I forgot how much you talk!"
The comment received laughter from Spencer over the link, following which the court heard that were the defendant to receive a custodial sentence, there would be accommodation assistance available to him as a prison leaver.
As such, Judge Jones said, the service would have to find him a place in approved premises.
"You'd have accommodation," the Judge told Spencer, "how does that sound?"
After the frank discussion with Judge Nicola Jones, during which he had to be asked to stop speaking more than once, he decided to proceed without representation and admitted the breach.
"Let's not waste time ma'am," he said, "this all happened because I didn't have nowhere to stay."
The Judge activated two months of the suspended sentence - of which the defendant will likely serve a matter of weeks before release on licence.
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She told him: "Good luck, Mr Spencer.
"When you're on your meds, you're a lovely fella.
"Off you go. You'll be out in a few weeks."
The defendant replied and left the prison video suite laughing: "Thank you, see you soon. Oh, no - not see you soon!"
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