Killingbeck Asda plant thief fails to attend probation meeting - despite Leeds officer promising to drive him

Richard Lee Hazelgrave was handed the community order with a drug rehabilitation requirement in March, after being convicted of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, failing to stop after an accident and three counts of thefts of plants from Asda in Killingbeck.

Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard that a warrant was put out for the 43-year-old and he was arrested on Tuesday and taken into custody. Police had been called to his address at Seaforth Terrace in Harehills for an unrelated incident, and he did not know he was wanted. The court was told that he had failed to turn up for a drug appointment in May, along with a planned appointment with an officer. The office even offered to pick him up.

It was heard the he had been offered 11 appointments, turned up for two, had three acceptable absences and six unacceptable absences.

Mitigating on his behalf, Tony Murphy said: “Police went to his address yesterday and he asked about his situation, so was taken into custody.

"He would welcome another opportunity to start again and demonstrate he can comply with a drugs order. He has a long history of drug misuse.

"He has not committed any offences since then and hopefully that will work in his favour.”

District Judge James Gould was persuaded to keep him out of jail after it was heard that Hazelgrave had stayed out of trouble despite missing his appointments.

He said: “I’m going to give you a final opportunity to work with probation and address your drug issues and other issues. I’m prepared to give you that opportunity but it must be more onerous this time.

"If you do not stick to this order you will be going to prison, because you will run out of options."

He revoked his previous community order, and gave him a new 12-month order with six months’ drug rehabilitation requirement, 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and told him to pay the costs of £141.