A WEYMOUTH man who failed to carry out any of an unpaid work requirement imposed as part of a community order has been jailed for 26 weeks.

Benjamin Gough, 36, was sentenced to a 12-month community order in October 2010 with a requirement that he carry out 150 hours of unpaid work for an offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his father, John Gough.

David Lyons, who represented the Probation Service at a breach hearing at Dorchester Crown Court, said Gough failed to attend his initial appointment after being sentenced but was given another chance in July last year to start the process again.

However, again Gough, of Kestrel View, Weymouth, did not attend.

Mr Lyons said: “The view of the probation service is that he has failed to engage in the programme at all.”

The court heard evidence from the defendant’s father who said his son had been in a troubled place at the time of the missed appointments after splitting from his previous partner and at times had ‘locked himself away’.

However, Mr Gough said he had improved drastically in recent months, had met a new partner and the two of them had restored their relationship.

He said: “Over the last few months we have become quite good friends again.”

Charles Gabb, representing Gough, added: “There is no excuse for not doing the work but there is an explanation.

“There were certainly real problems mentally as far as he was concerned – he was in a rather dark place.”

Judge Roger Jarvis told the defendant: “I am very sorry you are not going to get a third chance.

“When the court makes its orders unless there is some compelling reason it expects them to be complied with.”