A market trader has been jailed after he ignored a community punishment handed out for a city-centre fracas.

Carl Osborne completed less than ten hours of the 120 hours’ unpaid work he was given for an offence of violent disorder, York Crown Court heard.

North Yorkshire probation officers sent him back before the court and the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst changed his punishment to four months in prison.

The judge said: “The probation service can only supervise such orders if it is made clear to people subject to community orders that there will be real consequences rather than a simple slap on the wrist (if they are not completed). You were given your chance by the court. I’m afraid you have blown it.”

Osborne, 26, of Saxon Court, pleaded guilty to breaching a community order, his second breach of the sentence handed out on May 22. On September 2, he was ordered to do an extra 21 hours for the first breach.

Michael Cahill, for the probation service, said Osborne last attended for an unpaid work session on November 28.

On that occasion, he objected to not being allocated to a painting group and refused to do the work allocated to him.

For him, Glenn Parsons said he had put work before his punishment in the run-up to Christmas. He had worked three days a week on a market stall and as a kitchen fitter at the weekends. But now he had spare days when he could do his punishment.