A MAN who claimed to be the father of a girl killed in the Manchester Arena bombing has been jailed.

Richard David Holmes, 53, was appearing before York Crown Court for sentence for breaching a restraining order aimed at protecting a former partner, assaulting her stepfather and careless driving in a police chase.

At the start of the crown court hearing, he told Judge Andrew Stubbs QC over a video link to prison he wanted the matter dealt with as soon as possible because his daughter had died in the Manchester bombing.

Later, his solicitor advocate Mark Partridge told the judge: “He finds time in custody very difficult. You are aware of the difficult home circumstances with the defendant recently.

“He would have seen his daughter on a daily basis. He missed her funeral, which has added to the difficulties he has had.”

Neither Holmes nor the solicitor advocate showed the court any evidence to support his claim, or gave his daughter’s name.

Holmes, of Vesper Court Drive, Kirkstall, Leeds, was jailed for nine months and banned from driving for 17 months. The restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his ex-partner or going to her home remains in force.

He had denied the offences which were committed in York within days of him being released part way through a prison sentence imposed for attacking his ex-partner.

York magistrates had convicted him at a trial and sent him in custody for sentence at the crown court. He has other convictions for domestic violence.

The judge said he had terrified a vulnerable woman and “frightened the life out of her” when he had defied the restraining order by going to her home.

A few days later he had gone to her stepfather’s home thinking she was there and behaved in a “very disturbing way”.

He had then driven at speed through pedestrians and outdistanced a police car.

Mr Partridge said Holmes had not been physically violent towards the ex-partner at her home.