A VIOLENT man will start 2015 with a six-month prison sentence — after he was arrested over the Christmas holiday.

James Gibb, aged 25, assaulted two police officers and a woman and committed other offences.

Gibb failed to attend court and he was in breach of a suspended prison sentence.

But police caught up with him over Christmas, held him in their cells until the courts reopened on Boxing Day and sent him before York magistrates.

His father also attended court hoping that his son would be set free and, through Gibb’s solicitor, told magistrates he would be willing for his son to live with him.

But magistrates decided that Gibb’s crimes were so serious they had to pass a prison sentence.

Gibb stood convicted of two thefts, two assaults on police officers, one assault on a woman, failure to attend court and breach of a suspended sentence.

Gibb, of Dean Park, Harrogate, was given a total sentence of 26 weeks including being ordered to serve the suspended term.

Peter Minnikin, defending, said Gibb struggled with drug and drink addictions.

Mr Minnikin said that magistrates sending Gibb to prison would ensure the drugs and alcohol got out of his client’s body.

But, said Mr Minnikin, unless Gibb had some kind of support and was given, on his release, the tools to stay off drugs and alcohol, he would fall back into criminal behaviour, including committing domestic violence.

Mr Minnikin urged the bench to hand Gibb a suspended prison sentence.

Through this, said Mr Minnikin, Gibb could get help via a drug-rehabilitation order and be supervised by the probation service.

But the magistrates said Gibb had a history of not complying with court orders.

Gibb spent six weeks on remand before getting bail.