The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A man who was spared jail after putting his hands around his partner’s throat was today (Tuesday) given a final chance to avoid prison.
Liam Crane, now 20, was given a chance to avoid custody by Recorder Emma Smith who told him “not to look a gift horse in the mouth” when he appeared before Lincoln Crown Court in November last year.
On that occasion Crane, whose address was given as Shivean Gate, Moulton, was given an 18 month community order and told complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
However Crane was sent back to Lincoln Crown Court after he failed to attend two probation appointments as instructed on June 9 and 22 this year.
The court heard it was Crane’s second breach of his sentence and that he had now been suspended from his work program after completing just 16 hours.
Neil Sands, mitigating, told the hearing Crane fully understood it was the end of the line for him.
“There are some improving signs,” Mr Sands said. “There have been no subsequent offences in over a year.
“It is unfortunate Mr Crane has achieved that without working with the Probation Service.
“There were two incidents where Mr Crane simply did not get out of bed, showing a lack of maturity.
“It does however appear that since these breach proceedings were initiated things have improved.”
Crane, who is now homeless, had originally denied a charge of intentional strangulation but pleaded guilty to an offence of battery relating to the incident on June 14 last year.
He also admitted offences of criminal damage and racially aggravated harassment on the same date.
His sentence hearing in November last year was told
Crane and his 17-year-old partner were living with his mother at her address in Millers Rest, Whaplode, when a 999 call was made.
Prosecutor Jeremy Janes told that hearing when police responded they found items being thrown from the property and loud banging which left the “walls literally shaking.”
Police managed to get inside and found his partner who looked like she had been crying.
Mr Janes said the teenager was initially reluctant to give an account but then revealed Crane had kicked over a TV stand and thrown around clothes.
It was also disclosed that Crane had squeezed the woman’s cheeks “quite hard,” and then put his hands around her throat, and began to squeeze.
“It wasn’t very long,” Mr Janes added. “She told him to take his hands off her throat and thankfully he did.”
Crane was arrested and made untargeted racial remarks in the presence of the police officers for which he was also fined £100.
Mr Janes said none of the officers were of an ethnic background.
Passing sentence Recorder Graham Huston said Crane did not appear to appreciate the seriousness of his situation.
Recorder Huston told Crane: “You are testing everyone’s patience and behaving like a child. The alternative to such a sentence is prison.”
The Recorder fined Crane £50 and ordered him to pay £50 costs. He was also ordered to attend a review hearing at Lincoln Crown Court on 10 October and complete his unpaid work hours.
