A FATHER of two who "persistently" flouted a court order was too busy to do it, Burnley Magistrates heard.

The court was told how Kevin David Hankey, 25, worked and had been trying to fit in doing community punishment around attempting to have a relationship and looking after his children.

His solicitor, who said the defendant had never been to custody before, urged the bench to give him one last chance to finish the 200 hour order. He had completed 132 hours of work.

Hankey, of Pilgrim Street, Nelson, admitted failing to comply with a community punishment order. The justices revoked the order, which the defendant had breached twice before, and fined him £100 instead for the original offence, driving while disqualified.

The court heard how Hankey had "wilfully and persistently," failed to comply with the order.

John Rusius, defending, said Hankey had not refused to do the work, but everything had got too much for him.

He had had his young son at weekends and put that as priority over the community punishment work.