'Revolving door' prisoner is back behind bars for the sixth time after probation breach

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, May 3, how Martin Powell, 36, of no fixed abode, admitted failing to attend with a supervising officer on April 18 which added up to being the sixth breach of his post sentence supervision arrangements.

David Gittins, defending, said: “It’s truly a revolving door case. It’s always the same. He was released and given a small amount of money to get back to the Chesterfield area.”

Mr Gittins added that jobless Powell missed an appointment and he knows that until his residence problems are fixed his conditions are that he has to report every day with the probation service but he has failed to do so.

Powell has been in and out of prison - serving five brief sentences for previous breaches - which has also made it difficult for him to establish any benefits, according to Mr Gittins.

Mr Gittins also explained that the police can be in regular contact with Powell making it easy to bring him back into custody because so many similar homeless people now gather on Beetwell Street, in Chesterfield.

The court heard that Powell had originally been sentenced to imprisonment for failing to comply with supervision requirements under the Sex Offenders Act, dating back to October 27, 2016.

He subsequently breached his post sentence supervision five times, according to the court, resulting in short custodial sentences each time and he has only recently been released from custody after serving a short prison sentence handed out on April 5.

Powell, formerly of Devon Drive, Brimington, has now admitted his latest breach on April 18 after he once again failed to attend with a supervising probation officer.

District Judge Andrew Davison sentenced Powell to seven days in prison.

However, he recognised the accumulative, short custodial sentences Powell has received have become a disproportionate punishment relating to his original offence.

District Judge Davison stressed to Powell that all he has to do is to make sure he sees the probation team and he warned him that if fails to do so in the future he will keep ending up in prison at potentially 14 days at a time.