Northwich man spared jail despite drunkenly breaching order

Craig Lee Howman, of Stones Manor Lane in Hartford, had been sent to prison for 14 days in January of this year and was on post-sentence supervision after his release.

However, the 30-year-old was back in Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, June 14, to face fresh charges.

The court heard how Howman was on Penrhyn Road in the town on May 25 and was being drunk and disorderly.

Entering a guilty plea to the offence meant Howman had also failed to comply with the supervision requirements imposed on him following his release from prison.

Craig Howman has avoided another spell behind bars

The above offences also meant Howman was in breach of a suspended sentence order which had been imposed by the same court on February 22 this year. That had been imposed after he breached the terms of a criminal behaviour order imposed in February 2020.

However, rather than activate it and send Howman behind bars again, the bench decided to give him another chance due to the strength of personal mitigation provided.

He was fined £40 and must now comply with a community order for the next 18 months.

Any future offences are likely to trigger a four-month prison sentence, which will remain suspended for the duration of that community order.

He must also pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £34 surcharge to help fund victim services.