Kane Beales, 19, a convicted teenager, was today told by a court that he had a "reasonable excuse" when he refused to wear a high visibility jacket labelled "Community Payback". He had been brought to court, accused of breaching his sentence by saying he would not wear the jacket.
Beales, of Caister, Norfolk, had been given a suspended sentence last September, with an unpaid work requirement, for drinking excess alcohol, and possessing a knuckleduster, and a flick knife. He had refused to wear the garment after arguing it would lead to “humiliation and embarrassment”.
“It advertises that you have done something wrong and you don’t want the whole world to know,” he told the court at the trial.
The requirement to wear the marked Community Payback vest was introduced by the Government to boost public confidence in community sentences. It was imposed some three months after the defendant signed his agreement, which did not include such a requirement, the court heard.
“There is no evidence that the defendant was informed of the new requirement before he attended for work.” said District Judge Philip Browning at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court. After being sentenced, Beales had signed an agreement which did not include the requirement to wear the jackets.
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
