MAGISTRATES jailed 36-year-old Robert Seymour for 14 weeks, because he had breached the terms of his suspended prison sentence. Seymour had missed appointments with the probation service because he was caring for his elderly grandparents, Ely court was to

MAGISTRATES jailed 36-year-old Robert Seymour for 14 weeks, because he had breached the terms of his suspended prison sentence.

Seymour had missed appointments with the probation service because he was caring for his elderly grandparents, Ely court was told.

Seymour was originally given an 18-week suspended sentence last July, for racially abusing an Ely shop worker.

At that time Seymour was also banned from the Spar store for 12 months, ordered to pay �100 compensation to his victim, and was given a 12-month supervision order.

"This is a last chance to turn your life around," Seymour was told by presiding magistrate Rev Michael Matthews at that hearing.

On Thursday, Rev Matthews was back in the chair as he heard Seymour, of St Mary's Street, Ely, admit breaching the suspended sentence.

Solicitor Nicholas Barnes said Seymour did cooking, cleaning and washing for his grandparents, and that prevented him from keeping probation appointments on November 26 and December 1. "He loves his grandparents dearly," he added.

Sending Seymour to jail, Rev Matthews said the 18-week sentence had been reduced because of the progress he had made.

He agreed to revoke Seymour's other community orders, and allowed Seymour's �595 in outstanding fines to be wiped out by the jail sentence.