A HOMELESS man who has previously been jailed for sitting on the ground has been locked up again.

A man who knows Haydon Mark Baker slammed the "system" after Haydon Mark Baker was sent down at Taunton Magistrates' Court for 14 days for several breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Mr Baker, 34, who gave his address as homeless hostel Lindley House, in East Reach, Taunton, had pleaded guilty to seven charges.

He admitted two counts of sitting on the ground outside McDonald's, in East Street, "an area of high pedestrian footfall", with a cup placed in front of him, looking at members of the public in a position to gather alms.

Other charges included three counts of sitting on the ground in Taunton, "loitering by crouching on the ground" and possession of a home-made bong.

He was given six concurrent seven-day prison sentences and one seven-day term to run consecutively.

All seven offences were deemed to be in breach of a CBO imposed by the court in February 2018.

Giving their judgement, the said Baker was being jailed for persistently breaching the CBO.

Baker has been before the courts on a number of occasions and a member of the public who knows him has questioned what good it for the courts to keep punishing him.

The member of the public who knows Baker and asked to remain anonymous, said: "What's the point of sending him to prison for a couple of days?

"He'll only come out and do the same again.

"He clearly needs help, but to keep punishing him seems cruel and pointless.

"The system is clearly broken if nobody is prepared to help Haydon."