Woman pleads with judge to lock her up

Monday 27 February 2017

A 54-year-old woman who begged a judge to send her to prison to help her find a ‘breathing space’ has been sentenced to two weeks behind bars.

Having heard her plea Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris reluctantly agreed to the request saying under the circumstances is was possibly the “most pragmatic approach."

In December last year the Magistrate’s Court sentenced Jane Jouault to 50 hours community service for being disorderly on licenced premises.

If offenders fail to complete community service orders or commit any new offences they face being sent to jail.

On Friday Ms Jouault was back in court charged with two offences: a breach of the peace and causing malicious damage. Both happened at a guesthouse at Havre des Pas. When she was refused a drink it was alleged she became rowdy and aggressive. The owner called the police and the Court heard that Ms Jouault then pulled the phone off the wall, and ripped the man’s glasses off.

She had successfully completed 30 hours service working alongside the National Trust and the Assistant Magistrate was tempted just to add extra hours, but Ms Jouault said that wouldn’t solve her problems. She told the court not having anywhere to live was making life impossible – at the guesthouse she couldn’t even wash her dirty outdoor working clothes.

She told the court she’d been locked up by the police for the past 24 hours, but was grateful to them for taking her to the prison where she’d managed to shower and get clean clothes. But, because she’d been locked up she hadn’t had a chance to even make a phone call to find a new place to live. 

Mr Harris sentenced her to prison for two weeks - a week for the recent offences, and another week for breaching her community service order.