AN ANGRY thug who beats up women has been given a second chance to avoid jail despite ignoring a court order.

David Lyddon was given a suspended sentence and told to do some unpaid work after assaulting three women.

Instead the 37-year-old missed appointments and was brought back in front Colchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Lyddon admitted failing to comply with the requirements of the suspended sentence but rather than activating the 20 week sentence magistrates decided to give him another chance, fining him £160 instead.

Two hearings were needed for Lyddon, of Brook Street, Colchester, after he began ranting at magistrates.

He said: "My job is on the line. My wife is weeks away from having a baby."

He claimed he was struggling to find time to do the unpaid work but magistrates warned him he cannot ignore the court and he could be jailed.

After calming down Lyddon returned to the court, this time represented by a solicitor.

Matthew Swash, mitigating, said the scaffolder was being pushed to work overtime and weekends because of staff shortages and needs the job so is struggling to fulfil his commitments to the court and his employers.

He told the court Lyddon would have paternity leave soon so could "blitz" the 140 hours of unpaid work then.

Lyddon received the suspended jail sentence in November after being convicted of three counts of assault, three counts of criminal damage and one count of forcing entry to a property.

In August last year Lyddon forced his way into his girlfriend's house in Colchester before assaulting her, her mother and her friend.

He damaged her car, her front door and then a police officer's watch.

During sentencing the court heard he had jumped up and down on her car bonnet before swinging punches.

He was later arrested at a pub and refused to comply with police officers claiming his birthday weekend was being ruined.