A VIOLENT offender sentenced to unpaid work for an assault on a woman has pleaded guilty to failing to turn up for his appointments.

Liam Gale was re-sentenced and handed an extra 50 hours of unpaid work and made subject to a suspended jail term for the 'persistent and wilful' breach.

The 25-year-old of Manor Close, Drayton, appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court yesterday.

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Gale was originally handed the community penalty in October 2018 after an episode of domestic violence.

That incident took place in September of that year in which the victim suffered injuries to her face.

Gale admitted at yesterday's hearing to breaching the community order by failing to attend unpaid work on July 28, August 4 and 11 last year.

The National Probation Service said at the hearing that of the 100 hours he had been expected to carry out he had only completed about one fifth.

David Pallett, defending, said that his client had 'buried his head in the sand' and had moved address and moved in with a new partner.

He added that Gale was a construction worker but had lost his employment as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sentencing, District Judge Kamlesh Rana said there were '101 different excuses' for the breach and added: "None of which I buy."

She said the breach of the community order was both 'persistent and wilful'.

Gale was handed a 10-week jail term for the original offence, which was suspended for a total of 18 months.

As part of that suspended sentence he was also ordered to carry out a total of 150 hours of unpaid work, an extra 50 from his original total.

He must further pay court costs of £60 which will go to the National Probation Service.