A hard-headed 20-year-old threw away opportunities to reform despite a previous warning from a judge who has now converted the offender’s probationary period into a nine-month jail term.

William Merchant, 20, had been put on three years’ probation for stealing from three apartments, handling stolen property and driving without a licence last year.

His probation officer, Chantal Avellino, told the court he was not following her orders. Despite her best efforts to get him on the straight and narrow, he did not cooperate and became hard-headed even when she gave him chances to show her that he could change.

Mr Justice Michael Mallia said he had warned Mr Merchant about the consequences of breaching his probation order and after seeing that he had refused to cooperate was left with no option but to send him to prison.