Man in and out prison since he was 15 pleads with court not to jail him

Gerard McBlain said he had come to know Preston prison as like a 'YMCA youth hostel' having been behind bars for much of his adult life.

He appeared in court after he failed to comply with the requirements of a period of post-sentence supervision having been released from prison.

South Cumbria Magistrates' Court heard he failed to comply with the supervision requirements because his whereabouts were unknown and he was uncontactable.

The 41-year-old was convicted of the offence following a trial.

The Probation Service recommended that he be jailed for 14 days for the breach.

"I walk into Preston prison and they all know me," he said.

"It's like a YMCA youth hostel.

"That's just become my life.

"It's sad really but it's my life.

"There's not been a year I've not been to prison since I was 15.

"I'm 41 now. It's quite a sad state of affairs.

"I'm trying to get a job."

His solicitor Michael Graham also argued against sending him to prison. 

McBlain was jailed for eight months last year for assaulting three police officers.

He was also jailed for two months for assaulting a man while on bail in a separate incident.

Back in June 2018, he was jailed for two years for a 'sustained and repeated attack' on his partner which resulted in her fracturing her wrist as she desperately tried to defend herself in her own home.

Carlisle Crown Court was told that on February 20 2018 he was on bail after a previous incident and was told not to contact Maxine Quirk.

However, McBlain attended her Kendal home.

Despite being 'fearful', she let him in but he became 'upset' during a row.

“He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the kitchen. She describes being punched a number of times to the face,” said Kim Whittlestone for the prosecution.

Magistrates, led by chair of the bench Mike Halshaw, avoided jailing McBlain on this occasion.

The defendant, of Kirkbarrow Lane in Kendal but previously of Barrow, was fined £180 for the breach.