A COUPLE who failed to carry out community service orders for theft and illegal entry have been given a final chance to do so.
Shannen Dempsey (25) and Carl Henriette (33) sneaked into a woman’s house, smashed a mirror, squirted washing-up liquid over the floor and stole a handbag.
They admitted the offences and received community orders in January.
But they were back in the Royal Court this week for failing to abide by them.
Henriette had been ordered to carry out 210 hours of work. But Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit, prosecuting, said he had completed only 20 hours.
He said Dempsey had been sentenced to 180 hours but had only done five.
Advocate Maletroit said: ‘Despite assurances time and time again that every effort would be made to complete the orders, there has been a routine failure to attend or provide proper justification for not attending.’
He suggested replacing the orders with prison sentences, with a 14-month sentence for Henriette and 12 months for Dempsey.
Advocate Chris Baglin, defending Dempsey, said she had suffered from the highly infectious rash impetigo for part of the time and had had to isolate.
He said: ‘There have been medical reasons. But she is now fit and able. When she has attended she has engaged well.’
Advocate Allana Binnie, defending Henriette, said: ‘We are dealing with three sessions that he has missed.
‘A prison sentence would mean the loss of the remaining biological parent for his young child, the loss of the financial support for that child that my client provides.’
She added: ‘He is profoundly sorry to his daughter and to the court. He has asked for one final opportunity to prove himself.’
The Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, told the defendants: ‘Community service is not meant to be easy and is not meant to be convenient. It is not optional.’
But he said the Jurats had agreed to grant them a final opportunity to complete it, with a review of their progress scheduled for 24 November.
He told Henriette: ‘Please see this as a last chance. If there is another breach it will be you and you alone who let your daughter down.’
The Jurats sitting were Steven Austin-Vautier and Karen Le Cornu.
