A MAN from Rhyl has avoided jail despite breaching the terms of his suspended sentence for a third time.

Mark Hatswell, 40, of Ernest Street, received the 22-month jail term, suspended for two years, in December 2022, for making threats to kill, sending an offensive message, and causing criminal damage.

The terms of the suspended sentence included completion of a “building better relationships” programme, 12 months’ drug rehabilitation, and 25 days’ rehabilitation activity requirements.

But Hatswell, who previously breached it by failing to attend a drug rehabilitation review in February 2023, and failing to attend sessions between January and June 2024, then missed further appointments in October.

He admitted his latest breach at Mold Crown Court this morning (November 26).

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Prosecutor Karl Scholz said that Hatswell provided a “sick note” on October 15 saying, without explaining why, that he was unfit to have attended between October 8 and 12.

Though, Hatswell did attend his October 8 appointment, but was sent home ill.

He has since been offered five office appointments with the probation service, and has attended all of them.

Hatswell’s suspended sentence is in operation for 26 more days, Mr Scholz said.

Representing Hatswell, Gareth Bellis said that, after being sent home ill on October 8, “he stupidly believed he didn’t have to attend thereafter”.

Mr Bellis added that Hatswell, who works on a part-time basis in a gym, is in receipt of “very limited income”.

Judge Nicola Jones, presiding over the hearing, refrained from activating Hatswell’s suspended sentence.

She added five rehabilitation activity requirement days to his order, removed the “building better relationships” programme from it, and told Hatswell to pay £140 in costs.

“In the exceptional circumstances of this case, given there are only 26 days (remaining on the suspended sentence), I’m going to allow the order to continue,” she told Hatswell.