Miss a £5 payment and go to jail - thief is told in court

Liam Pardoe, 25, was convicted of stealing money and fraud in 2014, but has so far only paid off just £17.14 of the £415 he was ordered to pay in fines and costs.

Pardoe, who gave his address as c/o Cape Street, Mansfield, was ordered to re-appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, and made to explain why he had made no attempt to pay the rest.

He said: “I thought it would come out of my benefit, I have not fixed abode and I was trying to sort everything out.

“I got a letter saying there was a warrant out for my arrest so I rang them up straight away.”

But Pardoe looked close to tears after being told that he faced 14 days’ jail if he didn’t start paying.

The magistrate said: “It’s been over 18 months now and this fine is not going to go away, they will never go away.”

Pardoe was given 12 days’ jail, but it was suspended until he paid off his debt.

Pardoe had admitted a charge of stealing a debit card and withdrawing £240 cash when appeared in court in July 2014.

He was told to pay £240 compensation to the victim, £105 in costs and fined £70 - totalling £415.