A SERIAL offender who has committed a string of crimes since the age of 13 has been handed a community order for attacking someone with a metal pole.

Lawrence Taylor, aged 19, of Sunnyside Road, Weston, has previously been convicted of offences including battery, common assault and criminal damage dating back to 2007, with one offence leading him to be curfewed and tagged.

Taylor, wearing a grey and blue tracksuit and trainers, was sentenced for common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Friday. He admitted the charges on the day of his trial at North Somerset Courthouse in October last year.

The court heard how Taylor was a regular cannabis user who is still suffering from blackouts due to post-traumatic stress as a result of violence he witnessed as a child.

Taylor had recently become a father, his girlfriend having given birth to his newborn daughter on the first day of his trial at magistrates court.

His Honour Judge Michael Roach told Taylor it was his last chance to reform his life for the sake of his child before he would be jailed.

The court heard how Taylor had been playing football with a group of friends on October 8 last year when a ball hit Stuart Brown’s car in Marconi Close, Weston.

Mr Brown had been waiting for a friend when he got out and told the group to stop.

Taylor then threw the ball at the car again and pinned Mr Brown against a wall and punched him in the face.

Mr Brown then got into his car and drove off, before telling his friends what happened.

Later, a group of six people turned up outside Taylor’s house, including Mr Brown and Matthew Norton.

When Mr Norton arrived, Taylor went into his house and came out with a metal pole about three feet long, believed to be a crutch.

He then hit Mr Norton in the head, just above the eyebrow, causing an injury which later required stitches.

Robyn Rowland, defending, told the court Taylor never left his garden and was defending his property.

He also admitted Taylor was prone to violence.

Mr Rowland said: “He is a father and he is trying to provide a better life for his daughter than that which he had.

“Cannabis is not healthy for him and it is not healthy for the relationship he wants to have with his family.

“He acknowledges he is going to have to deal with the damage from the trauma.”

Taylor, who has previously broken a community order, was given a 12-month community order with a supervision requirement and a four-month curfew, enforced by electronic tag, between the hours of 8pm and 7am.

Judge Roach said: “If you can’t live up to seeing probation officers when you are required to and can’t abide by the curfew then it is inevitable that you are going to get a prison sentence. Now go away and sort yourself out.”