Business success blamed for missing probation

A CRIMINAL has vowed to turn his around after launching his own business.

Craig Merrigan, of East Boldon, started BGone Removals, a house removal and rubbish collection service, seven months ago.

The 27- year- old was sentenced to a ninemonth supervision order in December last year for an offence of causing fear or provocation of violence.

He appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court yesterday on a charge of failing to comply with the requirements of a community order, where he blamed the success of his business

life and heavy workload on failure to attend some supervision appointments.

An application was made for the order to be revoked and an electronically monitored curfew imposed instead – because of what the probation service called Merrigan’s “nonchalance” towards the appointments.

But his solicitor, Paul Kennedy, successfully argued the order could be discharged by a financial penalty instead.

He said: “The offence for which he was convicted dates from August 17 last year and he has not been back before the courts for another offence since and has had no involvement with the police whatsoever. He has taken himself off his backside and set up his own business – he doesn’t want to live off benefits.

“He has to be flexible to customers. He doesn’t want a reputation for being unreliable. He didn’t want to turn jobs down and he tried to re- arrange probation appointments around his work, but he could not always be accommodated. That’s no criticism whatsoever of the probation service, they are short- staffed.”

Merrigan, of Lilburn Close, was ordered to pay a £ 500 fine.