King’s Lynn man James Leonard handed new community order after 16 offences

A man is “absolutely adamant” he can turn his life around after avoiding jail when being sentenced for 16 offences.

James Leonard, 58, of Turbus Road in North Lynn, was sentenced at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday after a response to supervision report was completed by the probation service.

Leonard committed a host of offences between January and the start of this month, including multiple counts of theft from a shop, criminal damage, displaying threatening behaviour to cause fear, and breaching bail conditions.

On one occasion, he stole £80 worth of meat from Sainsbury’s. He also stole £80 and £116 worth of meat from Aldi on separate occasions.

Meanwhile, he breached an 18-month community order handed to him at Norwich Magistrates’ Court in May last year.

Probation officer Lewis Spicer said Leonard failed to attend sessions in June and December without a reasonable excuse.

As it was his first breach, Mr Spicer suggested handing him a new community order, revoking the original one.

Mitigating, solicitor Alison Muir said Leonard - who had 62 previous convictions - managed to stay out of trouble between 2017 and 2023 when he stopped drinking alcohol.

However, he started to drink again recently after a health scare led him to believe his “time was up”.

“Alcohol has got the better of him over this period of time,” she said.

“Aggravating the situation for him was the fact that his house was broken into, and significant damage was done.

“Alcohol has been the bane of his life. His mother was an alcoholic. He has lost two brothers to alcoholism.”

Ms Muir said that during the period he stopped drinking, Leonard could often be found supporting other offenders in the courtroom.

Now, he has expressed a willingness to complete a period of alcohol abstinence - and is “absolutely adamant” he can complete it.

Magistrates opted to revoke Leonard’s existing community order and re-sentence him with a new one lasting 24 months.

As part of this, he will complete a ‘building better relationships’ requirement, ten rehabilitation activity days, and 120-day alcohol abstinence programme.

He will also pay a combined £592.35 in compensation to the shops he stole from, as well as £10 to mark his community order breach.