A 27-year-old man has been returned to prison after breaching the terms of his early release licence.

James Tarran Keggin, of Hawthorn Grove, Ballasalla, admitted four breaches of the terms and was returned to prison for two months by High Bailiff Jayne Hughes.

Keggin was jailed for 21 months in August 2020 for assault causing actual bodily harm in relation to an incident involving his girlfriend.

Prosecuting advocate Rachael Braidwood told the court that Keggin was released from prison on February 3 with a condition not to contact the victim of the assault.

However, on April 29 Keggin was seen entering Tower House in Castle Street, Douglas, with the woman.

He was also said to be living at the same address as her at Spring Gardens in Douglas on May 6.

On May 7, Keggin was said to have broken a window during a row with the woman at the same address.

Then, on June 3, Keggin was again found with the woman at an address in Woodbourne Road in Douglas.

Ms Braidwood said that Keggin has previous convictions for affray, breaching a suspended sentence, breaching a probation order, failing to surrender to bail, and had a ’general disregard for adherence to rules’.

Defence advocate David Clegg said that Keggin had been undertaking work in relation to domestic violence while in prison.

Mr Clegg said that Keggin’s relationship with the woman had continued and that his client had pointed this out when he was released, saying it was setting him up to fail.

The advocate said that the couple had been living together and the woman had not asked for Keggin to be removed when police attended so it seemed surprising that the non-contact condition had not been removed.

Mr Clegg said that his client had begun paying for the window he broke.

’We would submit that it doesn’t seem that anyone has spoken to the woman concerned to ask if she wants the condition in place,’ said the advocate.

Prosecutor Ms Braidwood said that there was a suggestion of an element of coercion and control in the relationship, though no evidence could be provided,

She also said that the woman was young, and had been the victim of a ’very nasty sustained assault’ regarding the previous assault.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said while passing sentence: ’A clear message has to go out to those who choose to breach licensing conditions, that doing so will result in a return to custody.’